[Air-L] mandatory reporting for online health research

[Yukari Seko]

Dear AoIRists,

I'm facing a tricky problem and would like to borrow your wisdom!

I am designing a small pilot project to interview creators of
self-injury imagery via email or text chat.
Last week I received comments from the REB at my institution (a mental
health hospital + research institution) that raised a couple of concerns
about ethical responsibility.

In particular, I am seeking help/suggestion for the following two questions;
1. How can distress and sucidality be determined by email?
2. How can mandatory reporting requirements be met?

Seemingly, these comments are directed to clinical professionals who are
eligible to assess the level of urgency in situ (i.e. distress and/or
suicidality). So I am not sure how non-medical professionals like myself
address this issue to convince the REB. I'm consulting with clinicians
but they don't have much experience conducing studies online.

Also, mandatory reporting for online researchers is a tricky one. I'm
planning to recruit participants at an online forum for self-injurers,
where members come from all over the world. How can an online research
fulfill mandatory reporting requirements if participants are from
different jurisdictions?
To whom should I report?

Thanks a lot in advance for your help.

Yukari Seko, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Social Aetiology of Mental Illness [SAMI] Training Program
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
Toronto, ON