Before taking part in this project, you may wish to reflect on whether taking part in this research, at this time, is the right decision for you. We encourage you to discuss taking part with anyone you would find it helpful to talk it over with (we keep your participation confidential, but you do not have to).
We have put together a list of questions that it might be useful for you to think over before taking part in the study:
- How does thinking and talking about your own experiences of suicide make you feel – physically and emotionally? What impact does this have on you at the time, and afterwards?
- How does thinking and talking about your experiences as an LGBTQ+ person make you feel – physically and emotionally? What impact does this have on you at the time, and afterwards?
- What signs might show that these thoughts or conversations are impacting you? What might you notice in your body? What thoughts might run through your mind? What emotional responses might you experience?
- How might you take care of yourself if you find taking part in the research upsetting? Do you have practices – by yourself or with others – that you have found helpful before?
- What do you find helpful for grounding or distracting yourself if you are feeling unsettled?
- Are there people around you who you would feel comfortable reaching out to for support?
- Do you feel ready for to take part in this research?
If you are interested in doing an interview with us, you might also want to think about these questions:
- Are there any topics that you would prefer not to talk about, or any words or phrases that you would find triggering? Would you feel comfortable sharing those with the researcher?
- How do you feel articulating your feelings or boundaries with others? How would you feel about telling the researcher that you needed a break, or that you no longer wanted to take part?
Signs that you may be ready to take part in this research:
- You have thought about the effects that sharing your experiences of suicide as an LGBTQ+ person might have for you, and feel this is manageable. You feel that involvement in the research would be positive for you, and you’re looking forward to sharing your story.
- Having considered the questions, you feel that taking part in the research is unlikely to be too upsetting for you, or set you back. You think that if it was upsetting, you would feel comfortable letting the researcher know.
- You have talked it over with someone you trust, and have come to the conclusion that taking part would be a good thing for you.
- You understand what might negatively impact you, and have a clear sense of how to draw your own boundaries. You also understand your personal warning signs, and know when, where and how you can access support if you need to.
Do you have any concerns?
If you have any questions about taking part, please contact: RainWithinTheRainbow@ed.ac.uk
You can download the information on this page here: Readiness To Take Part
These questions build on the brilliant work of our friends and colleagues over at the National Suicide Prevention Alliance.
