Title of research study: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health of Filipina Mothers: A Mixed Methods Study (Phase 2)

Investigator: Gabrielle Aquino-Adriatico, MSW (Doctoral Candidate) – This project is part of a dissertation and is being conducted under the supervision of Dr. Patrick Leung, PhD, who is the faculty sponsor and dissertation chair.

Key Information: The following focused information is being presented to assist you in understanding the key elements of this study, as well as the basic reasons why you may or may not wish to consider taking part. This section is only a summary; more detailed information, including how to contact the research team for additional information or questions, follows within the remainder of this document under the “Detailed Information” heading.

What should I know about a research study?
 • Someone will explain this research study to you.
 • Taking part in the research is voluntary; whether or not you take part is up to you.
 • You can choose not to take part.
 • You can agree to take part and later change your mind.
 • Your decision will not be held against you.
 • You can ask all the questions you want before you decide, and can ask questions at any time during the study.

We invite you to take part in a research study about the mental health of Filipina mothers during COVID-19 pandemic because you meet the following criteria: (1) identifies as Filipina or Filipina American; (2) 18 years or older; (3) identifies as a mother of child(ren) ages 15 years and younger; (4) resides in the United States.

This research is being funded by Council of Social Work Education’s Minority Fellowship Program and the Graduate College of Social Work’s Child & Family Center for Innovative Research.

In general, your participation in the research involves you completing a 60 to 90 minute virtual remote interview. The purpose of this interview is to understand the experiences of Filipina mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are no known risks by participating in this study. There are no known benefits for participating in this study. You will not receive compensation for participation.

Detailed Information: The following is more detailed information about this study, in addition to the information listed above.

Why is this research being done? The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences of Filipina mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: There are approximately 4 million Filipino/a/x Americans (FilAms) in the United States as of 2019, making them the third largest origin groups among Asian American communities, 56.6% of them women (Pew Research Center, 2019; U.S. Census Bureau, 2019). FilAms are currently facing the dual pandemic of COVID-19 and violence due to racism (Litam, 2020), yet remain to be one of the most under-researched groups (Budiman et al., 2019). FilAms are at higher risk for experiencing depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease (Misra et al., 2020). Mainstream research has documented the detrimental impact that COVID-19 has on the overall mental health of mothers (Almeida et al., 2020; Cameron et al., 2020; Davenport et al., 2020). Mothers report higher rates of depression and anxiety due to lack of child care support, isolation, balancing working and parenting, and more (Chiurazzi et al., 2020a). There is increasing research on the effects of the pandemic on the mental health of mothers; however, there is little research specifically on the mental health of Filipina mothers. I do not foresee that you will receive any direct, personal benefit as a result of your participation in this project; however, your participation will allow researchers to better understand what contributes to the mental health of Filipina mothers. Such information can contribute to knowledge about working with this community.

How long will the research last? The virtual remote interview will take approximately 60 to 90 minutes to complete. You may withdraw from this study at any time. There are no consequences for not completing the interview.

How many people will be studied? We expect to enroll up to 50 people in this research study.

What happens if I say yes, I want to be in this research? If you want to participate in this research, you will receive a link to complete an online screening survey on Qualtrics to see if you are eligible to participate in the interview.

If you meet requirements to participate in this study, you will be contacted by the researcher via email or phone to schedule a virtual remote interview.

The estimated date for the completion of this study, including primary analysis will be August 2023.

This research study includes the following component(s) where we plan to audio record you as the research subject:
  I agree to be audio recorded during the research study.
  I agree that the audio recording can be used in publication/presentations.
  I do not agree that the audio recording can be used in publication/presentations.
  I do not agree to be audio recorded during the research study.

What happens if I do not want to be in this research? You can choose not to take part in the research and it will not be held against you. Choosing not to take part will involve no penalty or loss of benefit to which you are otherwise entitled. Your alternative to taking part in this research study is not to take part.

What happens if I say yes, but I change my mind later? You can leave the research at any time and it will not be held against you. If you stop being in the research, already collected data that still includes your name or other personal information will be removed from the study record.

Is there any way being in this study could be bad for me? We do not expect any risks related to the research activities. If you choose to take part and undergo a negative event you feel is related to the study, please contact the researcher. The researcher will provide you with a list of counseling resources if you would like any support.

Will I receive anything for being in this study? I do not foresee that you will receive any direct, personal benefit as a result of your participation in this project.

Will being in this study help me in any way? There are no known benefits to you from your taking part in this research. However, possible benefits to others include a better understanding of what contributes to the mental health of Filipina mothers. Such information can contribute to knowledge about working with this community.

What happens to the information collected for the research? Information you provide cannot be linked to your identity. To maintain the privacy of contact information, each participant’s name will be replaced with a study identification number (e.g., Participant 1) that will be used throughout the study. The study ID number will replace the participant’s name in all correspondence about the study. Contact information for participants will be kept by the PI in a password-protected folder on the university’s OneDrive account. Audio and audio/video recordings will be deleted after they have been transcribed. Transcriptions with study ID numbers are the primary data for the study. All references to participants’ names in these documents will be replaced with the participant’s study ID number.

Who can I talk to? If you have questions, concerns, or complaints, or think the research has hurt you, you should talk to the research team at University of Houston’s Graduate College of Social Work. The principal investigator is Gabrielle Aquino-Adriatico. The principal investigator’s email is gaquino@cougarnet.uh.edu. The faculty sponsor is Dr. Patrick Leung. The sponsor’s email is pleung@uh.edu and his phone number is 713-743-8111.

This research has been reviewed and approved by the University of Houston Institutional Review Board (IRB). You may also talk to them at (713) 743-9204 or cphs@central.uh.edu if:
 • Your questions, concerns, or complaints are not being answered by the research team.
 • You cannot reach the research team.
 • You want to talk to someone besides the research team.
 • You have questions about your rights as a research subject.
 • You want to get information or provide input about this research.