Certain words scare parents from enrolling their kids in studies, report says

By Staff Writer

Parents of children who suffer from a learning disability or emotional disorder may want to enroll their kids into programs that aim to treat their condition. However, many adults are wary of these sessions.

A new study reveals that parental resistance to these research endeavors is based heavily on word choice. Researchers asked six questions to 94 parents who had taken their children to the emergency department. The inquiries pertained to their willingness to enroll their child in an extended program. They were presented with five different protocol descriptions: research study, research project, research experiment, medical experiment and medical study.

Only 18 percent of those surveyed said that they thought all five terms had the same meaning. Of the parents who did not think they were similar, most of them said they would allow their kids to participate in a research study but not in a research project, medical study or medical experiment. The parents said that they thought the words experiment and medical had negative connotations.

The study's authors said that consent forms for these programs should include thorough descriptions of the protocol, as well as a glossary of terms. They hope that more informed parents will volunteer their children for studies that could prove beneficial for their physical and mental health.

Many wilderness therapy programs provide various types of treatment options for kids who suffer from emotional problems.