Health-Related Thoughts and Social Experiences (HEARTS) Study

Thank you for your interest in this research study! The purpose of this study is to test the effects of a group-based psychological intervention, and peer support, that aim to help individuals cope with social aspects of health conditions, improve how they think and feel about themselves, and improve their quality of life. If you participate in the study, you will be asked to attend virtual group meetings with individuals with different health conditions, and you will be asked to complete questionnaires about how your health affects your mental health and quality of life. For most participants, group meetings will meet weekly for 12 weeks, then every-other-week and monthly up through 26 weeks, or approximately 6 months total. Some participants will wait 6 months before attending 12 weekly group meetings.

There are no fees for participating in this study. The intervention will be provided to you free of cost. Participants will receive $50 for completion of online questionnaires twice during the study, for a total of up to $100.

Today you will be asked a few questions as part of a screening process to see if you may be eligible to participate in this research study. If you agree, you will be asked about information related to your health and how it affects how you think and feel about yourself. It will take about 5-10 minutes to answer these questions. If you feel uncomfortable answering some of these questions, you can decline to answer and you may stop at any time. Participation in this screening process is voluntary. This means that, if you do not want to complete the screening, your decision will not affect the medical care you may receive at UF Health. Based on your responses to the screening questions, we will determine whether or not you might be eligible to participate in the study. If we think you might be eligible, you will be contacted by a study staff member with additional information.

If you meet the initial eligibility requirements, we will collect personal information, such as your name, phone number, and email address. Your information is being collected so that we can contact you if you are eligible and decide to participate in the research study. Staff at the University of Florida who are involved in the study, or who oversee the study to ensure it is being done correctly, may see your information.  Staff members will use your information only for the purpose of the study. We try to make sure that your personal information along with the answers to the screening questions are kept confidential, but we cannot guarantee this. If you do not qualify for this research study, we will destroy any identifying information collected during the screening process, unless you wish us to keep it for a future study.

Would you like to continue with the screening?  If you have any questions, please contact the study team at 352-273-5102 or heartsstudy@phhp.ufl.edu. You may also contact the Principal Investigator, Dr. Rebecca Pearl, at 352-294-5405.

(IRB-approved, #202201862)