Ethical considerations for online mental health communication research By Elvira Perez Vallejos The Ethics of Online Research Methods

Mental Health Communication Young people experience severe and potentially long-lasting psychological difficulties. Yet many perceive difficulties in communicating their concerns to professionals and only a fraction receive available support services.

Mental Health Communication Online platforms such as Young Minds, Elefriends and even social media data such as FB and Tweeter offer an attractive source of data.

Mental Health Communication To improve mental health communication we propose to investigate: – the linguistic strategies with which adolescents present mental health concerns in online settings – the barriers they identify in communicating their experiences face to face to health professionals – how these might be alleviated

Mental Health Communication To do that we propose applying expertise in applied linguistics and human computer interaction to elucidate adolescents’ expressions and experiences of psychological distress. But…. Which ethical consideration should be taken into account?

Ethical Considerations Informed consent Trust Anonymity issues Privacy Right to withdraw

Challenges Planning and design of online research including vulnerable young people. Data access

User Centric Solutions Responsible innovation

User Centric Solutions Informed consent

User Centric Solutions Transparency

User Centric Solutions Clear Terms and Conditions

User Centric Solutions Explicit opt-out/opt-in recruitment strategies

Thanks