Information about the study
Before we begin the screening, we would like to tell you a little bit about the research.
The purpose of this research study is to understand how caregivers like parents can best support teenagers through the ups and downs of daily life. We would like to know how caregivers and teens in a modern family talk to one another and how family communication affects stress, mood and mental health. If you volunteer to participate in this study, your participation will last 2 weeks. This research is conducted by Dr. Sunhye Bai at Penn State University.
You will participate in one 2-hour visit over video chat, complete several 1-minute long surveys on a smartphone every day for two weeks, and attend a 30 minute phone appointment at the end of the two week period. During the two week period, we will set up three Bluetooth devices in your home and car to detect how much time you and your teen spend together, and place a video camera inside your car to record conversations between you and your teen during pick-ups and drop-offs.
Information about the eligibility questionnaire
Would you like to continue with the screening? The screening for this study will take about 10 minutes. We will ask you about vital statistics like age, gender and family composition, and about your mental health. We will also ask you about your child’s age, gender, and mental health. In some cases, we may also ask your child to complete a brief 5 minute online survey. You and your child do not have to answer any questions you do not wish to answer or are uncomfortable answering, and you may stop at any time. Your participation in the screening is voluntary.
Your answers will be confidential. No one will know your answers except for the research team. If you qualify for the study, we will assign you a code number, and keep your answers in the research record linked to that code number. If you do not qualify for the study, your answers will be retained by the research team under a code number, but all identifying information linking your name to the code number will be destroyed.
Information about the eligibility criteria
Anyone can complete the eligibility questionnaire. To participate in the larger research study, we are seeking caregivers and teens between 12-15 years old who:
- Live together at least 5 days/week
- Primarily speak English at home
- Are healthy or depressed
- Have a family car
To begin the screening, tell us who you are:
Contact the Penn State SAFE Lab: Strengthening Adolescents and Families Every day
Phone: 814-863-7283 | [email protected]
Principal Investigator: Sunhye Bai, Ph.D.