StopSo receives numerous applications each week from students to undertake research hoping to use the StopSo database. This involves a lot of time and cost for our Administrator and Trustees to review the documents sent.

We are mindful of the need to protect vulnerable clients, many of whom are potentially suicidal on arrest. Similarly, their families are distraught, so StopSo wishes to protect them from intrusive, albeit well-meaning, questioning.

StopSo have therefore adopted a policy that any research application should meet the following criteria, to be adjudicated initially by the administrator:

• The research needs to have been initiated primarily by the StopSo Board using recognised researchers in the field, or if not, that potential researchers should have a minimum of doctoral or professorial qualifications in order to assure StopSo that the quality of the research would be of the highest standard.
• That ethical clearance had been undertaken with a University or similar body and was attached to the application.
• That it did not impede on the client or his or her family – thus only through to the therapist.

StopSo decided against offering links on the website to offer clients a choice or not of participation in undergraduate or masters theses research. This was because of the number of applications received are too high, so the list would be a long one. It was also thought that clients may feel covertly pressurised into participating because of any help provided by StopSo.

At a later stage, it is proposed to place on StopSo client applications, a question as to whether they would be interested in participating in research, either immediately or at a later date. We could then build up a data base of willing research participants, although it would take time for numbers to build up to have sufficient for meaningful research outcomes.

.If your research meets the above guidelines, please email [email protected] and we will be in contact.