CENTRE FOR ETHICS IN MEDICINE
3rd Floor Hampton House, Cotham Hill, Bristol, BS6 6AU
Ethics of assisted self-harm in mental health care
Permission to contact (Website copy)
Dear Sir/Madam,
I would like to invite you to take part in a research project. Please read the advertisement below
carefully. If you are happy for me to contact you by telephone to discuss the research project
please complete this form, then forward a copy to kerry.gutridge@bristol.ac.uk. When I contact you
I will discuss the research, answer any questions you have and then you can decide if you want to
meet. Thank you for your time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I am happy to be contacted by Telephone
Telephone number
YES / NO
.....................................................
I agree that the researcher can call the telephone number to discuss the research project AND, if I
agree to meet, to confirm the appointment
YES / NO
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Ethics of harm-minimisation for self-harm/injury: Web advert
Do you have personal experience of self-harm/injury?
Are you willing to discuss your experiences?
I am a PhD researcher at the Centre for Ethics in Medicine, University of Bristol. I am conducting a
research project examining the ethics of harm-minimisation for self-harm/injury.
The project involves individual face-to-face research interviews. In the interviews I want to talk to
people about their personal experiences of self-harm/injury. I also want to ask them questions
about harm minimisation approaches to self-harm and invite them to share their thoughts on the
ethics of this.
Approaches that support harm minimisation rather than stopping self-harm/injury altogether have
recently been called “assisted” self harm. Although the label “assisted” is used in the project the
research is designed to explore the approach without making any assumptions about its
acceptability.
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CENTRE FOR ETHICS IN MEDICINE
3rd Floor Hampton House, Cotham Hill, Bristol, BS6 6AU
Interviews will take about forty five minutes and will take place in Bristol MIND. The research
questions were designed in consultation with Bristol Crisis Centre for Women and a researcher from
Bristol MIND to ensure they are sensitive to service user’s needs. I have ethical approval and R&D
approval (refs 08/H1016/126 and 0629S).
I have already completed interviews with 19 staff members and 2 service users. I am keen to
increase service user representation (and your ‘voice’) in the research.
I am aware that the research addresses a sensitive topic. Participants may find talking about their
experiences stressful or upsetting. If you take part and find that this is the case you can stop talking
about a particular distressing point, take a break or end the interview. If you find the interview
stressful I will take time after the interview to make sure you can contact people, if you want to, to
help you manage your distress: for example I can contact your care coordinator (if you have one)
with your consent or wait with you for a friend or family member to come to meet you.
I am only interested in your views. This study does not involve any treatment of any sort. The
research is an opportunity to offer your opinion on approaches to harm-minimisation. This may not
help you personally but it may help others in distress in the future and may also help to formulate
policy or guidelines. At the end of the interview I will ask if you would like to receive a summary of
the results of the study when it is completed.
If you are interested in finding our more about the research please send the “permission to contact”
form to kerry.gutridge@bristol.ac.uk
END
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