Informed Consent in Vulnerable Populations: The Case of Detained Persons with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity...

Area of Science:

• Clinical Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Medical Ethics

Background:

• Informed consent (IC) is crucial for ethical human participant research.
• Understanding of IC information is often limited, especially in vulnerable groups.
• The impact of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on IC comprehension in detained populations is understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between ADHD and understanding of informed consent (IC) among detained individuals.
• To assess if ADHD influences the willingness to sign the IC in this population.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of data from a randomized trial in a Swiss prison (n=183).
• Statistical regression models were used to compare IC understanding and signing willingness between individuals with and without ADHD screening.
• Participants were assessed for ADHD using screening tools.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in IC understanding scores between individuals with (mean=5.2) and without (mean=4.9) ADHD screening (p=.468).
• Comparable acceptance rates for signing the IC between groups: 83.3% (ADHD) vs. 84.9% (non-ADHD) (p=.814).
• Overall low levels of IC understanding were observed across both groups.

Conclusions:

• ADHD did not significantly impair informed consent comprehension or participation decisions in detained individuals.
• The findings underscore a general deficit in understanding research consent information within vulnerable populations.
• Tailored strategies are needed to enhance IC comprehension for detained individuals, irrespective of ADHD status.