This information sheet is for you to keep.
You are invited to take part in this research project. Please read this Explanatory Statement in full before deciding whether or not you wish to participate.
This project is being conducted by Associate Professor Renata Kokanovic, Monash University, Professor
Bernadette McSherry, University of Melbourne, Professor Helen Herrman, University of Melbourne, Dr Lisa Brophy,
University of Melbourne, Dr Claire Tanner, Monash University and Dr Audrey Statham, Monash University. It is a partnership between researchers from Monash University, University of Melbourne, Neami National, Tandem
(formerly Victorian Mental Health Carers Network), Victorian Department of Health, Victorian Mental Illness
Awareness Council, Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria, and Mind Australia.
By participating in this research, you will be helping to improve understanding of supported decision-making for people who have received a diagnosis of major depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis or schizophrenia. Based on our findings, we will produce a public website and training materials that explain supported decision-making and how it can contribute to the process of recovery for people diagnosed with the aforementioned conditions, their families and support people, health professionals and policy-makers. We will also develop tools to assist mental health practitioners in facilitating supported decision-making with consumers.
Before you decide if you want to take part, we want to tell you why the research is being done, and what you can expect if you take part. After reading this, please contact us if you have any other questions.
Why were you chosen for this research?
We would like to interview mental health practitioners working in Victoria with an interest in supported decision making for people diagnosed with the conditions listed above. If we already have your contact details, they will have been provided by a mutual contact who has suggested you may be interested in taking part in this research. If we have not contacted you but you have obtained this information and are interested in participating, please contact us (see details at the end of this Statement).
The aim/purpose of the research
This project aims to understand the experiences of people diagnosed with the afore mentioned conditions, their family/support people and mental health practitioners concerning decision-making, treatment, appropriate supports for making treatment decisions, and recovery. It will produce a website and training materials that will explain supported decision-making and how it can contribute to recovery, and tools for use by mental health practitioners to assist them to facilitate supported decision-making.
We will collect audio-recorded interviews with mental health practitioners, which may be used in several ways: o to find out what is important for mental health practitioners in relation to decision-making for people who have received a diagnosis of major depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis or schizophrenia o to develop support and information resources o to inform and train health and allied health professionals o to write research papers.
Our website aims to help people to:

o understand supported decision making for people who have received a diagnosis of major depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis or schizophrenia o understand the role of supported decision making in enhancing the process of recovery o know what really matters to people when they live with a diagnosis of major depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis or schizophrenia, their family/support people and mental health practitioners o answer common questions and provide information.
People who face difficulties with decision-making in relation to living with a diagnoses of major depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis or schizophrenia will be able to go to our website to learn about the experiences of other people in similar circumstances. Family/support people for people living with a diagnosis (of the aforementioned conditions) will be able to hear stories from others in a similar position. Health professionals who want to understand what it is like for people to experience living with a diagnosis of one of the aforementioned conditions, understand supported decision making processes and access tools, can also visit the website.
Possible benefits
We cannot guarantee that you will receive any direct benefit from this project other than the opportunity to talk with a researcher about your experiences of working with people with the aforementioned diagnoses, and their family/support people. Your input will enable us to contribute valuable information to the website which will be of benefit to consumers, their families, health professionals, and policymakers.
What does the research involve?
The study involves an audio-recorded interview with a researcher on our team about your experiences of treating people who have received a diagnosis of major depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis or schizophrenia, and your views on supported decision making. It will be held at a time and place convenient for you. There will also be a small amount of paperwork to do before interview. During the interview, which will be like a conversation, the researcher will ask you about your experiences of treating people who have received a diagnosis of major depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis or schizophrenia and your views on and experiences regarding supported decision making.
Your interview will be used along with interviews from about 30 other mental health practitioners to, and between
60 and 70 other people who talk with us about their experiences of living with a diagnosis of major depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis or schizophrenia or experiences of being a family member/or support person for someone living with a diagnosis of major depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis or schizophrenia. NB: Interviews with people with diagnosed with the aforementioned conditions, and family members/support people may be videorecorded.
Interviews with mental health practitioners, such as yourself, will only be audio recorded. A summary of findings from mental health pra ctitioners’ interviews may be included on the website but otherwise will be used to inform the development of training materials and tools and included in our analysis for preparing research articles and papers.
In the weeks / months following the interview:
If you have agreed that you wish to receive your transcript following the interview, we will send you a copy and ask you to read over it. If there are any parts you wish to be removed, we will ask you to mark these and send the transcript back to us. We will ask you to return all these documents by reply paid envelope. Once the website is ready to go live, we will invite you to the website launch and send you the website address.
How much time will the research take?
The time it will take for the interview varies, depending on how much you would like to discuss, but most interviews last between one and two hours. If you want to stop the interview at any time, you can do so without giving any reason at all. Communicating with us before and after the interview (setting up an interview date and time checking the transcript) will take between one and two hours.
Inconvenience/discomfort
Participation in the study is not expected to have any particular risks for interviewees. You are free to withdraw from the study at any time.
Payment
There will be no payment offered for participation in this research.
You can withdraw from the research
Being in this study is voluntary and, if you decide to participate, you are free to leave the study at any time. If you decide to leave after your interview has taken place, all tapes, transcripts and typing of your interview would be destroyed.

Confidentiality
The information you provide in the interviews may be used to produce a website, and also for research papers to be written. In research papers, your information will not be identifiable – aliases will be used and other identifying information will be removed.
Storage of data
With your consent, the audio files of your interview, printed transcripts, and copyright forms will be stored at
Monash University and will be destroyed five years after completion of the project. This information will be stored in accordance with Monash University regulations, kept on University premises, in a locked filing cabinet for 5 years.
A report of the study may be submitted for publication, but individual participants will not be identifiable in such a report.
Use of data for other purposes
Your de-identified data may be used for other purposes. Because it is de-identified data, nobody will be named and they will not be identified in any way.
Funding
This project is funded by the Australian Research Council.
Results
The project findings will be published via the website, academic journal articles, a report to the funding body as well as possible educational materials such as DVDs or articles. If you would like to be informed of the aggregate research findings, please contact Associate Professor Renata Kokanovic (details below). The findings are accessible for five years from the date the website goes live.
If you would like to contact the researchers about any aspect of this study, please contact:
If you have a complaint concerning the manner in which this research is being conducted, please contact:
Associate Professor Renata Kokanovic,
School of Political & Social Inquiry
Monash University - Caulfield campus
900 Dandenong Road
Caulfield East VIC 3145
Email: renata.kokanovic@monash.edu
Tel: 03 9905 5339
Executive Officer
Monash University Human Research Ethics
Committee (MUHREC)
Building 3e Room 111
Research Office
Monash University VIC 3800
Tel: +61 3 9905 2052 Fax: +61 3 9905 3831
Email: muhrec@monash.edu
Thank you for your interest in this study. We look forward to your involvement.
Associate Professor Renata Kokanovic