Being in Higher Education with PTSD Symptoms:
A Qualitative Exploration of Undergraduate Student Experiences.

My name is Rhian Kant and I am undertaking this research at the University of Bath as part of the Doctorate training course to be a clinical psychologist. I have worked with many people who have experienced trauma in different settings.

This study aims to find out what it is like for a person to have experienced trauma and be an undergraduate student with PTSD symptoms in the UK. Trauma is defined as “exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence” (APA, 2013, p. 271). It is known that experiencing a traumatic life event can affect us all differently but there is not much qualitative research focused on the experiences of students with trauma histories and PTSD symptoms during their studies. This research hopes to explore this by gathering data through interviews. It is hoped that the findings from this study will help higher education organisations to better support students who have had trauma experiences and who have PTSD symptoms whilst doing their degrees. 

You will be asked to read this information sheet and consent to take part in the study. You will then be asked to complete a questionnaire, including some questions that measure PTSD symptoms over the past 12 months. If eligible, you will have a remote interview with me, which will be held over a video call. The interview will last up to one hour and will be held in a safe, confidential space. 

The interviews will be recorded and typed up verbatim (transcribed) for the purpose of analysis. Anything identifiable (such as names or places) will be removed and anonymised. I will not ask you to tell me about the trauma you experienced. The interview will cover your views on studying for an undergraduate degree having had at least one trauma experience and whilst having PTSD symptoms. You will be debriefed after the end of the study, and you will be offered the opportunity to ask further questions post-interview.

Taking part in this study is voluntary and you are free to make your own choice about whether you want to participate. If you agree to take part, then you can choose not to answer any questions that you do not want to, and you can stop the interview at any time. If you choose to take part, you are still able to withdraw up to one week after the interview. You have the right to withdraw from the study without offering a reason.

The topic of this study has the potential to evoke some emotional distress when answering some of the questions. However, this is not expected to be beyond what you experience in your day-to-day life. You will not be asked to discuss your trauma experience. There are no further anticipated risks of taking part in this study. All efforts will be made to support you to access appropriate advice and help, if you feel that your well-being has been negatively impacted by taking part in this study.

All information shared by participants in the interviews will be treated with respect. The information from interviews and any written records will be coded to protect the identity of participants and any identifying information will be omitted from any published material. To contact you for the interviews we will need to collect identifiable information, such as your email. This information will be stored securely on an encrypted University IT system and separately from your questionnaire and interview data. Similarly, recordings of the interview will be stored on this system and deleted following transcription. Any written records will be stored in a locked cabinet. Data will be solely accessed by the research team and will be destroyed upon completion of study publication, or at the point of withdrawal if you choose to withdraw at an earlier stage. There are limits to confidentiality and the researcher has an ethical obligation to report concerns if they believe that you or someone else is at risk of serious or immediate harm. This will be discussed with you, but the appropriate authorities may need to be contacted with or without your consent in an emergency.

All data provided will be held securely on the University of Bath IT system. Your interviews will be recorded and uploaded to a secure and encrypted file held on the University of Bath IT system. The video recording will be deleted as soon as the interview is typed up. All identifiable data (such as names or places) will be removed and anonymised. You have the right to withdraw from the study up to one week after the interview. After this point, all information you have provided will be included in the analysis. There will be no opportunity to view or alter the data provided. Valuable data will be transferred to the University of Bath Research Data Archive at study completion, where it will be stored for a minimum of ten years. To find out more information regarding the process and storage of your information, please find the University of Bath privacy notice below: https://www.bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/university-of-bath-privacy-notice-for-research-participants/

This study will form part of a doctoral thesis in clinical psychology. The findings will be disseminated via presentations and publications to support increased awareness of the experiences of students who have experienced trauma and have had PTSD symptoms during their undergraduate degree. I can arrange for you to be sent a summary of the results.

There is a possibility that some of the questions in the interview may bring up difficult feelings for you. If you think that you would benefit from advice and support in relation to your well-being, please access the organisations below as appropriate: 

In an emergency call 999 or attend A&E/the Emergency Department

If not an emergency:

· Your General Practitioner (GP)

· The Samaritans: Call 116 123 for free to talk about anything that is upsetting you.

· Shout: Text Shout to 85258 to be connected to a volunteer for a free, anonymous conversation by text.

· If you are a current student, you can contact your university student support and mental health service (contact details available via your university)

· Nightline: If you are a current student, you can also look on the Nightline website to see if your university offers a student-led, night-time listening service.

· Student Minds: Find out more about how to get support via helplines or more specific topics with Student Minds.

Please continue with this questionnaire if you would like to take part. 

You can contact me (Rhian Kant - rk860@bath.ac.uk) if you have any questions. You will also be able to ask questions before and after the interview.

You can also contact my research supervisors: Dr Rachel Paskell (rm770@bath.ac.uk) or Dr Josh Valoroso 

If you have any concerns about taking part in this study, please email the Chair of the Department of Psychology Research Ethics Committee (psychology-ethics@bath.ac.uk) with PREC Code 23025.