Mental Health Stigma in Mexican American Communities

Informed Consent to Participate in Research

For persons 18 years of age or older to participate in this research study

Information to Consider Before Participating this Research Study

Title: A study of Mexican Heritage Values and Mental Health Attitudes

Approved IRB Protocol ID #25-024

Overview: You are being asked to participate in this research study. The information in this document should help you to decide if you would like to participate. The sections in this overview provide the basic information about the study. More detailed information is provided in the remainder of the document.

Study Staff: This study is being led by Mitzi Escalante who is a student at New College of Florida. This person is called the Principal Investigator. Other approved research staff may act on behalf of the Principal Investigator.

Study Details: This study is being conducted at New College of Florida and is supported/sponsored by Michelle Barton. The purpose of the study is to understand how Mexican heritage cultural values influence attitudes surrounding mental health. Participants will be asked to complete a 15-minute self-report survey that will assess their cultural values, as well as attitudes regarding mental health. The survey will also ask for basic demographic information, such as age, sex, and cultural background, to confirm eligibility (participants must reside in the U.S., self-identify as Mexican American or Mexican and be 18 years or older).

Participants: You are being asked to participate in this study because we are interested in learning about your experiences and perspectives as an individual of Mexican heritage. Your unique insights into these aspects make you an important participant in helping us better understand this important cultural context.

Voluntary Participation: Your participation is voluntary. You do not have to participate and may stop your participation at any time. There will be no penalties or loss of benefits or opportunities if you do not participate or decide to stop once you start. Alternatives to participating in the study include: Your decision to participate or not to participate will not affect your job status, employment record, employee evaluations, or advancement opportunities. Your decision to participate or not to participate will not affect your student status, course grade, recommendations, or access to future courses or training opportunities.

Benefits, Compensation, and Risk: We do not know if you will receive any benefit from your participation. There is no cost to participate. You will not be compensated for your participation. This research is considered minimal risk. Minimal risk means that the study risks are the same as the risks you face in daily life.

Confidentiality: Even if we publish the findings from this study, we will keep your study information private and confidential. Anyone with the authority to look at your records must keep them confidential.

Study Procedures: During the study, each participant will be asked to complete a self-report survey that assesses cultural values, as well as attitudes regarding mental health. Lastly, participants will be asked to provide basic demographic information, including their age, sex, and cultural background, to ensure they meet the study's inclusion criteria of residing in the U.S., self-identifying as Mexican American or Mexican, and being 18 years of age or older. You are allowed to skip any question they may not want to answer and/or stop at any time. Additionally, participants will be given information about local mental health centers and resources to ensure they have access to support if needed.

Total Number of Participants
About 50 individuals will participate in this study at New College of Florida.

Alternatives / Voluntary Participation / Withdrawal
You do not have to participate in this research study.

You should only participate in this study if you want to volunteer. You should not feel that there is any pressure to participate in the study. You are free to participate in this research or withdraw at any time. There will be no penalty or loss of benefits you are entitled to receive if you stop taking part in this study. Decision to participate or not to participate will not affect your student status.

Benefits
You will receive no benefit(s) by participating in this research study.

Risks or Discomfort
This research is considered to be minimal risk. That means that the risks associated with this study are the same as what you face every day. There are no known additional risks to those who participate in this study.

Compensation You will receive no payment or other compensation for taking part in this study.

Costs
It will not cost you anything to participate in the study.

Privacy and Confidentiality
We will do our best to keep your records private and confidential. We cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality. Your personal information may be disclosed if required by law. Certain people may need to see your study records.

These individuals include:
- The research team, including the Principal Investigator, and all other research staff.
- Certain government and university people who need to know more about the study. For example, individuals who provide oversight on this study may need to look at your records. This is done to make sure that we are doing the study in the right way. They also need to make sure that we are protecting your rights and your safety.
- Any agency of the federal, state, or local government that regulates this research. This includes the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Office for Human Research Protection (OHRP).
-The New College of Florida Institutional Review Board (IRB) and its related staff who have oversight responsibilities for this study.
- Sponsor Michelle Barton.

If completing an online survey, it is possible, although unlikely, that unauthorized individuals could gain access to your responses. Confidentiality will be maintained to the degree permitted by the technology used. No guarantees can be made regarding the interception of data sent via the Internet. However, your participation in this online survey involves risks similar to a person’s everyday use of the Internet. If you complete and submit an anonymous survey and later request your data be withdrawn, this may or may not be possible as the researcher may be unable to extract anonymous data from the database.

What if new information becomes available about the study?
During the course of this study, we may find more information that could be important to you. This includes information that, once learned, might cause you to change your mind about your participation in this study. We will notify you as soon as possible if such information becomes available.

You can get the answers to your questions, concerns, or complaints.
If you have any questions, concerns or complaints about this study, call Mitzi Escalante at M.escalante25@gmail.com. If you have questions about your rights, complaints, or issues as a person taking part in this study, contact the New College of Florida (NCF) IRB at 941.487.4649 or irb@ncf.edu.

I freely give my consent to participate in this study. I understand that by signing this form I am agreeing to participate in research.

I consent to participate in this survey.
I do not consent to participate in this survey.

Survey Completion
0%	Current Progress 0%	100%