Online

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End Date January 31, 2025

Primary Contact Evelyn Tibichi

Email e.tibichi@students.uu.nl

Additonal Contact Lonneke van Tuijl

Email l.a.vantuijl@uu.nl

Study Details

Summary

You are invited to participate in the research study titled “A Comparative Study of ADHD Symptomology and the Relationship with Self-Compassion Accounting for Rejection Sensitivity”, which will be conducted online. This information letter provides details about the study’s purpose, the data we will collect, and how your data will be managed. If you have any questions, the researcher and supervisor’s contact information can be found down below.

Background and Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between ADHD, self-compassion as well as rejection sensitivity. ADHD is defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder including the symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. One of the symptoms associated with ADHD is being sensitive to rejection. Self-compassion, which is being kind to yourself during hard times, has been found to reduce rejection sensitivity. The aim of this study is to explore if ADHD symptoms play a role in self-compassion and rejection sensitivity. It will explore if self-compassion lowers rejection sensitivity in people with ADHD, or if rejection sensitivity decreases self-compassion. There will be a comparison between people with high and low symptoms of ADHD, according to the Adult ADHD Symptom Checklist, and whether there is a difference between genders due to a known difference in emotional regulation. There is little to no data available between the relationship between ADHD, self-compassion and rejection sensitivity.

Study Process

Voluntarily, you will be asked to complete an online survey consisting of demographic questions, a symptom checklist for ADHD, a self-compassion scale as well as a rejection sensitivity scale. Participation is entirely voluntary, and there is no financial compensation for participating.

Time Commitment

The survey may take up to 25 minutes to complete.

Age Criteria

Participants must be between the ages of 18 and 65 in order to participate

Your Right to Withdraw/Discontinue

Participation is voluntary. We are only allowed to collect your data for our study if you consent to this. If you decide not to participate, you will not be asked to do anything else, including signing or explaining why you did not want to participate. If you decide to participate, you can always change your mind and stop participating at any time, including during the study. You will even be able to withdraw your consent after you have participated by sending an email to the researcher. However, if you choose to do so, we will not be required to undo the processing of your data that has taken place up until that time. The personal data we have obtained from you up until the time when you withdraw your consent, excluding already anonymized data, will be erased.

Data Collection and Storing

We will collect demographic data, ADHD symptoms and levels of self-compassion and rejection sensitivity. Your data will be stored securely and anonymized. The data will be retained for a period of 2 years after the completion of the study, in accordance with the data retention policy. De-identified data (data that cannot be linked back to you) may be shared with other researchers or used for future studies, but your personal data will not be shared. If you choose to withdraw your consent at any time, we will remove your data from our database. Any data that has already been anonymized may continue to be used for research purposes. For further information, see: https://www.uu.nl/en/research/research-data-management/guides/informed-consent-for-data-sharing#dosdonts

Benefits

Participation in this research study does not guarantee any benefits to you. However, possible benefits include the fact that you may learn something about how research studies are conducted, and you may learn something about this area of research (i.e. how rejection influences self-compassion).

Risks

This study poses minimal risk to participants. The main potential discomfort may come from reflecting on mental health, such as ADHD symptoms and how you feel about rejection. However, no identifiable information will be connected to your responses, ensuring privacy and confidentiality. If your participation in this study causes you any concerns, anxiety, or distress, please contact mental health providers in your country.

Approval of this Study

This study has been approved by the Ethics Review Board of the Department of Psychology at Utrecht University. If you have any complaints or questions about the way your data is being processed, you can contact the Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences’ Privacy Officer at privacy-fsw@uu.nl. The Privacy Officer will also be able to assist you in exercising the rights you have under the GDPR. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Dutch Data Protection Authority. For details of our legal basis for using personal data and the rights you have over your data please see the University’s privacy information at www.uu.nl/en/organisation/privacy.

Researcher, Supervisor and Contact Information

This research study is being conducted by Evelyn Tibichi as part of the Master’s Thesis Project. The supervisor is Lonneke van Tuijl, assistant professor at Utrecht University. If you have questions or concerns about your participation in this study, you may contact the researcher at e.tibichi@students.uu.nl or the thesis supervisor l.a.vantuijl@uu.nl.

Results of the Study

You may obtain information about the outcome of the study at the start of the Spring of 2025 by contacting the researcher listed above.