Fact Sheet

To evaluate whether a five-session course, Roadmap for Life Transitions, improves wellbeing in adults.

We are making this opportunity available to everyone who has enrolled in the Roadmap for Life Transitions course sponsored by the Lifespan Research Foundation.

In this research study to evaluate the Roadmap for Life Transitions course, we will ask you to complete an online 15-minute survey at three points in time several weeks apart. Survey questions will ask you about your:

• Mood
• Satisfaction with life
• Outlook on the future
• Style of coping with challenges
• Relationships
• Values

We will ask you the same questions in each of the 3 surveys. If you agree to participate in the surveys, you will either begin course sessions shortly after you enroll in the course, or six weeks later, and this will be determined by random assignment (like tossing a coin).

We are asking you to participate because you have chosen to enroll in the Road Maps course. We plan to have 150 people complete these surveys.

All of your survey responses will be confidential. All information that could identify you personally (for example, your name and age) will be kept in a locked, password-protected file separate from your answers, and you will only be identified to our research team by an ID number. Your survey responses will only be shared with our research staff, and we will not share with them your name or other personal identifying information.

Loss of privacy is a risk that we aim to prevent by taking the precautions noted above.

You might find that some survey questions prompt you to feel concerned about aspects of your life that you would like to improve. If you experience any distress, you can contact your course facilitator. In addition, the Study Director, Dr. Robert Waldinger, will be available to speak with you.

You may find that the questions help you reflect on your life and changes you may want to make to improve your well-being.

No. Participation is completely voluntary, and you are free to stop at any time. If you choose not to participate in this survey research, it will not affect your ability to participate in the Road Maps course or other activities offered by the Lifespan Research Foundation.

Dr. Robert Waldinger is the principal investigator on this study. He is a Director of the Lifespan Research Foundation. The course Road Map for Life Transitions was developed in partnership with Lifespan Research Foundation and the company is the sponsor of the study. In accordance with Mass General Brigham’s conflict of interest policies, the MGB Office for Interactions with Industry has reviewed Dr. Waldinger’s interest in the company and determined that the interest creates no significant risk to the welfare of participants in this study or to the integrity of the research. If you want more information about this, please contact the MGB Office for Interactions with Industry at (857) 282-2024 or phsoiiresearch@partners.org

You may contact Dr. Robert Waldinger, the study director, with any questions. He can be reached at (617) 643-4339.
If you’d like to speak to someone not involved in this research about your rights as a research subject, or any concerns or complaints you may have about the research, contact the Mass General Brigham IRB at (857) 282-1900.

We are required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to protect the privacy of health information obtained for research. This is an abbreviated notice and does not describe all details of this requirement. During this study, identifiable information about you or your health will be collected and shared with the researchers conducting the research. In general, under federal law, identifiable health information is private. However, there are exceptions to this rule. In some cases, others may see your identifiable health information for purposes of research oversight, quality control, public health and safety, or law enforcement. We share your health information only when we must, and we ask anyone who receives it from us to protect your privacy.