Participant distress in psychiatric research: A systematic review

Abstract

Background. There has been ethical concern that participants in psychiatric research will become distressed and their mental state might worsen. Method. A systematic search was carried out for studies that examined distress following participation in research that involved the assessment of psychiatric state or associated risk factors. There were 46 relevant studies. Results. A minority of participants become distressed immediately after participation, with distress more likely in studies of traumatic experiences. There is limited evidence on longer-term effects, but what there is suggests no adverse impact. Positive reactions to participation show little association with distress and these ..