Dear Lupus Foundation of America:
I am a doctoral student in clinical psychology at the University at
Albany, State University of New York. I am currently an instructor at
Grinnell College in Iowa. I am conducting a study for my dissertation
which examines how couples living with lupus cope with illness. Patients
with lupus and their partners are invited to complete an anonymous online
questionnaire about their relationship, coping, quality of life, and
health.
The National Lupus Foundation has agreed to post the study on their website in the coming weeks (letter of support attached). However, your members may be more likely to participate in the study through your website, newsletter, or support group.
I have attached a summary of the study to this email. I would greatly appreciate it if you could inform your members about this research and perhaps provide a link to the questionnaire on your website. The link is: http://web.grinnell.edu/surveys/psy/lupus/
This work is both professionally and personally important, since my aunt was diagnosed with lupus when I was a child. She has since passed away due to lupus related complications. Since then, my research has focused on coping and lupus. I have been a member of LFA chapters in Northeastern New York (now dissolved), Connecticut, and now Iowa. I believe that research on lupus is sorely needed. I intend to continue my work in the future in the memory of my aunt and on behalf of all lupus patients.
Thank you in advance for your kind consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Asani H. Seawell, MA
Doctoral Candidate in Clinical Psychology
University at Albany, SUNY
Predoctoral Fellow and Instructor, Grinnell College
email: as8415@albany.edu
phone: 641-269-3175
Couples Living with Lupus Study. The purpose of this study is to learn more about how couples living with lupus cope with illness. Patients with lupus and their partners are being invited to complete an anonymous online questionnaire about their relationship, coping, quality of life, and health. This study is being conducted as part of the doctoral dissertation of Asani H. Seawell, M.A., Principal Investigator. The principal investigator is a doctoral candidate in psychology at the University at Albany, SUNY and lecturer at Grinnell College.
Patients diagnosed with SLE and their partners will be eligible to participate. Individuals will be included who: (a) are at least 18 years old; (b) married or in a committed romantic relationship; (c) currently living with their partner; and (d) are English speaking.
Participation is voluntary and all responses will remain confidential and anonymous. To take part in the study, participants will follow a web-link to the study questionnaires, where they will be asked to enter their email addresses. The study questionnaires and informed consent will be sent to the respective email addresses. Email addresses will not be stored, and participants will not be contacted at any point in the future following participation in the study. It will take approximately 45 minutes to complete the online questionnaire.
For complaints or concerns about the research, contact the Principal Investigator, Asani H. Seawell, M.A. at as8415@albany.edu. For technical problems associated with the survey, contact hagemeis@grinnell.edu. For questions about rights as a research subject, participants may contact the University at Albany Institutional Review Board at 800-365-9139 or email orc@umail.albany.edu. These numbers may be used to speak with someone who is not a member of the research team or if you cannot reach someone on the research team.