This study is being undertaken by researchers at the University of New South Wales. For you to take part, we need to obtain your informed consent to the study, as required by the UNSW Human Ethics Committee. This can be done by reading the information below, and by clicking on the appropriate answer box. You will then be asked to complete a survey to see if you are suitable to be entered into the study.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether providing online education for people with newly-diagnosed bipolar disorder can help them manage the condition alongside their normal treatment, and stay well.
To be eligible to participate, you must have
A screening questionnaire will be performed and your answers will be evaluated to determine whether you have met the inclusion criteria and are suitable to be entered into the study.
If you decide to participate, we will offer you one of three online education programs about bipolar disorder. Because the study is a randomised controlled trial, participants will be randomly assigned to one of the three programs: you cannot choose which program you will take.
Each online education program consists of 8 modules. We will send you by email a new module and its workbook each week. Each module and workbook will take about 30 minutes to complete. Some participants will also receive a follow-up email from an “Informed Supporter” to see if they have any questions about the module or bipolar disorder. Informed Supporters are people with bipolar disorder who are effectively self-managing their condition and trained to provide online support for the education program.
To measure the effect of the web-based program, we will ask you to complete questionnaires on four occasions: (1) before you start the online modules, (2) after the final module, (3) three months after the end of the program and (4) another 3 months after that. Everyone who completes the questionnaires on all 4 occasions will have the opportunity to say in 25 words or less what they got out of the program. Winners will be judged at the end of the research in Dec 2009: First prize: winner’s choice of vouchers to the value of $500, 2nd prize vouchers to the value of $300, 3rd prize vouchers to the value of $200).
A de-identified summary of the overall research findings will be emailed to research participants at the end of the study.
If you have any questions or complaints about the study, please contact Dr Judy Proudfoot at onlineprograms@unsw.edu.au. Complaints may also be directed to the Ethics Secretariat, The University of New South Wales at ethics.sec@unsw.edu.au.
If you would like to participate in the trial, please indicate your acceptance of the conditions. You will be automatically transferred to a survey to check your eligibility for the program.