Thank you for your interest in the iAIM EDU Study!
What is the iAIM EDU Study?
iAIM EDU is a groundbreaking study testing whether a mobile mental health platform, compared to usual care, is associated with improved uptake and symptoms. In other words, the study wants to assess whether mental health services (accessed online via app or website) increase service use and improve mental health symptoms compared to traditional in-person therapy.
How did you get my name and email address?
Your school chose to participate in this study and provided our team with a list of students, which included your first name and email address. The consent form in your survey link will tell you whether any other information has been gathered from your school.
Why was my information given to iAIM EDU Study Team for this study?
Your school is participating in iAIM EDU to better understand and improve the mental health needs of students on campus. Therefore, we asked them for a sample of students to send out our survey to, and you are among the students selected to participate. Some schools choose people randomly, some schools choose everyone. Your school has determined that they may share this data with our study team, considering federal, state, and institutional policies and regulations. For specifics on your school’s decision, you may contact the study team at iaim-coordination@umich.edu or reach out to the contact person at your school listed at the end of your consent form.
Will my information be confidential?
All the information you give in this study will be confidential and not released to anyone with any identifying information attached to it with a few exceptions:
- If you are eligible for the second phase of the study and you are randomized into the mobile mental health platform, SilverCloud, your coach is mandated to notify the police or other proper authorities to get you immediate help. We will disclose to the proper authorities information shared with us or activities we observe concerning abuse, neglect, or harm to others or yourself.
- We may be required to share information with other people such as the Data Safety and Monitoring Board, the Study Executive Committee, and the National Institute of Mental Health.
More information can be found on the consent form on how we will protect your data and identifying information.
How is my information’s confidentiality protected?
This survey was designed with your privacy and confidentiality in mind. Your survey answers will be stored in a file that is separate from your first name and email address. The data from this study, without any identifiable information, is stored in a secure digital location by the research team for future research purposes. Any reports or articles written about this survey will describe people’s answers as a whole (in aggregate), and will contain no information that could allow someone to identify you.
Participating institutions will receive a de-identified data set and will not be given access to individually identifiable survey data. We will also leave out any sports team affiliation or country of origin that you may have indicated. This helps make sure that no one at your school can look at the de-identified data set and guess who you are by “connecting-the-dots” with indirect-identifying information.
What if I have questions, concerns, or feedback regarding the study or study participation?
If you have any questions about the study or your involvement in the study, please contact the study coordination team by emailing iaim-coordination@umich.edu.
Why was I emailed multiple times?
Over the course of the data collection period, students who have not completed the survey will receive several reminders.
To stop receiving emails, you may
- Complete the survey
- Opt out of the survey by following the survey link to the consent form and click “No, I decline participation in this study”
- Opt out by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of your email
What happens in the second phase of the study? If I choose to participate in the second phase of the study, can I drop out at any time?
If you are study eligible, you will be asked to participate in the second phase of our study. If you choose to participate, you will be randomized into one of two conditions – either 1) receiving access to our mobile coached self-help program for six months (this program is accessible via a secure mobile application called SilverCloud Health), or 2) receiving information on how to receive treatment at your counseling center on your college campus. In both conditions you will be contacted approximately 6 weeks, 6 months, and 2 years after enrollment to complete brief surveys. If you no longer want to participate in the study, you would just need to let the study team know that you no longer wish to participate by emailing iaim-coordination@umich.edu. After that, we will no longer contact you; however, the study team will still have access to the data collected before you dropped out of the study.
Will my participation in this study cost me?
There is no cost to participate in this study.
Will I need to pay for SilverCloud (mobile app) or treatment at the campus counseling center?
You will access SilverCloud at no cost. If you receive counseling at your campus’s counseling center, your university’s policies will apply. We encourage you to check your school website, since many universities offer free sessions.
Will I be paid for participating?
If you are eligible for phase two of the study and choose to participate, you will be paid after completing the different assessments and may receive up to $30. You will receive a $5 electronic gift card for your participation after completing the baseline and 6 week assessments and you will receive a $10 electronic gift card for completing the 6 month, and 2 year assessments. You will also be entered in a sweepstake to win one of forty $100 gift cards for being a volunteer participant in the screening.
Why have I not received my incentive?
Your incentive will be emailed to your preferred email. We estimate that you will receive your incentive within two weeks.
Can I still go to therapy if I am enrolled in this program?
After you have been randomized into either condition, it is fine for you to receive treatment (either on or off campus).
I am taking medication, am I still eligible?
Taking any type of medication, including anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications, will not exclude you from participating in this study.
If I transfer schools, am I still eligible?
Transferring schools will not exclude you from participating in this study.
If I am randomized to the referral to on-campus counseling services condition, how often would I be required to attend counseling appointments?
If you are assigned to the group with the on-campus referral you would follow the treatment plan that you and your therapist agree upon. There is not a specific number of sessions required by the study.
If I’m randomized into the mobile program condition, what does that commitment look like?
You will be able to complete the program at your own pace, we recommend completing one or two modules a week. You will be assigned a coach to guide you through the program and with whom you will be able to exchange messages. You will have access to this service for six months.
Who is the iAIM EDU Study Team?
The iAIM EDU Study Team is comprised of scientists and professionals from Washington University School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Pennsylvania State University, Palo Alto University, and Boston University. The project is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).