In a study of adults who experienced childhood abuse, with informed consent and confidentiality safeguards, what is the most likely additional risk to participants?

In a study of adults who experienced childhood abuse, with informed consent and confidentiality safeguards, what is the most likely additional risk to participants?

• A. Financial penalties.
• B. Experience emotional or psychological distress.
• C. Physical injury.
• D. Loss of employment.

Answer: (B)

In studies that ask adults to discuss childhood abuse, the main risk to participants is emotional or psychological distress. Even with informed consent and confidentiality safeguards, talking about traumatic experiences can trigger anxiety, sadness, anger, or PTSD-like symptoms, or bring up painful memories. This kind of distress is a recognized risk of researching sensitive topics, and researchers plan to mitigate it with support resources, careful questioning, options to skip questions, and procedures for referral to counseling if needed. The other options aren’t typical inherent risks in this context: financial penalties or loss of employment aren’t risks created by participating in a research interview, and physical injury isn’t involved in surveys or interviews about past abuse.

In studies that ask adults to discuss childhood abuse, the main risk to participants is emotional or psychological distress. Even with informed consent and confidentiality safeguards, talking about traumatic experiences can trigger anxiety, sadness, anger, or PTSD-like symptoms, or bring up painful memories. This kind of distress is a recognized risk of researching sensitive topics, and researchers plan to mitigate it with support resources, careful questioning, options to skip questions, and procedures for referral to counseling if needed.

The other options aren’t typical inherent risks in this context: financial penalties or loss of employment aren’t risks created by participating in a research interview, and physical injury isn’t involved in surveys or interviews about past abuse.