The Journal of KAIRB (대한기관윤리심의기구협의회지)

Korean Association of Institutional Review Boartds (대한기관윤리심의기구협의회)
권호 표지

Disaster Mental Health Research Ethics Review

재난 정신건강 연구윤리 고찰

  • Lim, Jeungsuk (Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Paik, Jong-Woo (Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University)
  • 임정숙 (경희대학교 의과대학 정신건강의학과) ;
  • 백종우 (경희대학교 의과대학 정신건강의학과)
  • Received : 2022.01.11
  • Accepted : 2022.02.17
  • Published : 2022.02.25
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Although disaster research participants are in a more vulnerable state than general research participants, various ethical issues to be considered in the study may be overlooked due to the special situation of disaster. Therefore, research ethics should be considered to reduce damage to study participants and maximize benefits. In addition, from the perspective of researchers, ethical considerations should be applied in the disaster research process, so research ethics awareness should be established. In addition, at the health care institution and national level, it is necessary to prepare research ethics that reflect the Korean situation while meeting international standards in consideration of the characteristics of local communities. In Korea, after the Ferry Sewol accident in 2014, social interest in disaster mental health increased and the National Trauma Center was established in 2018, raising the need for disaster mental health ethics guidelines. Therefore, this review aims to discuss the significance of six items: specificity of the study, prior consent and autonomy, community participation, confidentiality and feedback provision, risk minimization, and research support. So far, the experience of disaster mental health research is not sufficient in South Korea. Therefore, the current guidelines are required to be continuously revised through practical experience in the future.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

이 연구는 국립정신건강센터에서 시행한 정책연구용역사업의 연구 결과임.

References

  1. Article 3 Subparagraph 1 of the Framework Act on The Management of Disasters and Safety. Act No. 15344, (Jan. 16, 2018).
  2. Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) with the World Health Organization (WHO). International ethical guidelines for biomedical research involving human subjects [Internet]. Geneva (Switzerland): CIOMS; 2002 [cited 2021 Dec 20]. Available from: https://cioms.ch/publications/product/international-ethical-guidelines-for-biomedical-research-involving-human-subjects-2/.
  3. World Health Organization. (2015). Ethics in epidemics, emergencies and disasters: research, surveillance and patient care: training manual. Geneva (Switzerland): World Health Organization; 2015.
  4. Sumathipala A, Jafarey A, De Castro LD, Ahmad A, Marcer D, Srinivasan S, et al. Ethical issues in post-disaster clinical interventions and research: a developing world perspective. Key findings from a drafting and consensus generation meeting of the Working Group on Disaster Research and Ethics (WGDRE) 2007. Asian Bioeth Rev 2010;2:124-42.
  5. Mezinska S, Kakuk P, Mijaljica G, Waligora M, O'Mathuna DP. Research in disaster settings: a systematic qualitative review of ethical guidelines. BMC Med Ethics 2016;17:62. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-016-0148-7
  6. Back JW, Kim HB, Lim JS, Youn SY, Jung JH. Development of research guideline for disaster mental health. Seoul (Korea): Kyunghee University Industry-University Cooperation Foundation, National Center for Mental Health National Trauma Center; 2019.
  7. Tansey CM, Anderson J, Boulanger RF, Eckenwiler L, Pringle J, Schwartz L, et al. Familiar ethical issues amplified: how members of research ethics committees describe ethical distinctions between disaster and non-disaster research. BMC Med Ethics 2017;18:44. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-017-0203-z
  8. Chiumento A, Rahman A, Frith L, Snider L, Tol WA. Ethical standards for mental health and psychosocial support research in emergencies: review of literature and current debates. Global Health 2017;13:8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-017-0231-y
  9. Ferreira RJ, Buttell F, Ferreira S. Ethical considerations for conducting disaster research with vulnerable populations. J Soc Work Values Ethics 2015;12:29-40.
  10. Rosenstein DL. Decision-making capacity and disaster research. J Trauma Stress 2004;17:373-81. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOTS.0000048950.36359.a2
  11. Packenham JP, Rosselli R, Fothergill A, Slutsman J, Ramsey S, Hall JE, et al. Institutional Review Board preparedness for disaster research: a practical approach. Curr Environ Health Rep 2021;8:127-37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-021-00311-x
  12. Hunt M, Tansey CM, Anderson J, Boulanger RF, Eckenwiler L, Pringle J, et al. The challenge of timely, responsive and rigorous ethics review of disaster research: views of Research Ethics Committee Members. PLoS One 2016;11:e0157142. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0157142
  13. O'Mathuna DP. Conducting research in the aftermath of disasters: ethical considerations. J Evid Based Med 2010;3:65-75. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-5391.2010.01076.x