Participant Debrief Form
Title of study: Mindfulness and flow as predictors of psychological well-being in university undergraduate students
Name of investigator: [insert detail]
Email of investigator: [insert detail]
Name of supervisor: [insert detail]
Email of supervisor: [insert detail]
1. Thank you for participating in our study.
2. The aim of this study is to investigate the extent to which flow in studying and mindfulness influence psychological well-being. Psychological well-being is a multifaceted construct that encompass six distinct aspects that determine our quality of life. These include:
Self-acceptance, which entails adopting a positive outlook towards oneself and past experiences.
Positive relations with others, which involve warm, empathetic, and trusting relationships with romantic partners, friends, and family.
Autonomy, which denotes the ability to make independent decisions and regulate emotions and behavior in a balanced way without relying on external validation.
Environmental mastery, which involves being able to identify opportunities and utilize them to select and alter the environment.
Purpose in life, which refers to discovering one's own mission in life and having a clear sense of identity and direction, thereby leading to a strong sense of intentionality in one's life choices.
Personal growth, which involves a willingness to take on new challenges, embrace new experiences, and develop one's talents and potential.
Additionally, the potential role of the type of attendance (online vs. on-campus) is to be explored. Other research has previously found that these constructs are related and that flow and mindfulness have a positive impact on psychological well-being. A study conducted in Wuhan, China in February 2020 during COVID-19 lockdown found that a longer quarantine period was associated with poorer well-being. However, when participants experienced a higher level of flow, the effect of the quarantine length was no longer significant. Additionally, mindfulness was also linked to a better well-being. Given the current stressful circumstances and the fact that some students cannot attend classes on-campus, this study examines whether flow and mindfulness are potential coping resources to promote well-being particularly when students are attending classes mostly online.
3. If you would like to know more about the topics covered in the study, you may find the following sources useful:
The study described can be found accessing this link: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0242043
More information about mindfulness and how to practice it can be found here: https://www.mindful.org/what-is-mindfulness/https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/tips-and-support/mindfulness/
Here you can find a TED Talk on flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the psychologist who first introduced this concept: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_u-Eh3h7Mo
4. The Participant Information Sheet that you read prior to participating in this study is available at: https://sites.google.com/site/pmceqcenter/participant-information-sheet
5. Your data will be stored securely and analysed anonymously, as detailed in the Participant Information Sheet.
You are entitled to request, modify or delete your data at any time by completing the survey at: https://forms.office.com/e/zqCAxJLzCu
The access/modify/delete survey is anonymous and you will be requested to enter the PIN you have generated at the beginning of the present survey. However, after one month from your participation it will not be possible to withdraw your data from analyses already performed, but we will remove your data from any future analyses.
We take the opportunity to reiterate that your participation in this study is entirely voluntary, that you can leave this study at any time without giving a reason, and that leaving this study will not affect your degree studies or progress in any way, now or in the future.
6. If you have any questions or queries about our research, please feel free to contact any of the researchers above. If you would like more information or feel uneasy about any of the questions you answered, please do not hesitate to contact one of the researchers who will be happy to provide further information.
7. If you experience any distress about any aspect of your participation in this study, please raise it with one of the researchers.
8. If you feel your concerns are more serious or complex, you may wish to contact the following support services:
Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/
Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/
SupportLine: https://www.supportline.org.uk/contact-us/
Shout: texting the word ‘SHOUT’ to 85258
If you are a LondonMet student:
Counselling Service
https://student.londonmet.ac.uk/life-at-london-met/student-services/counselling-service/
studentservices@londonmet.ac.uk
0207 320 2848
Disabilities and Dyslexia Service (DDS)
dds.studentservices@londonmet.ac.uk
0207 320 2848
If you feel that you need help with your approach to learning at the University, you may consider getting in touch with your discipline-specific Academic Mentor – contact details are available at: https://student.londonmet.ac.uk/your-studies/study-resources/academic-mentors/
9. Please save or print this document for your own record.