“That was helpful… no one has talked to me about that before” : valuing the therapeutics of research participation

There is considerable interest in the various ethical problems associated with under-taking health and social science research. Participants in such research are often considered vulnerablebecause of their health status, social position, or dependence on others for health and welfare services.Researchers and ethics committees pay scrupulous attention to the identification and amelioration ofrisks to participants. Rarely are the benefits to participants of engaging in research highlighted ordrawn to the attention of potential participants. Such potential benefits need to be considered byresearchers and reviewers when considering the balance of benefits and harms associated withresearch projects. In this paper, we particularly consider the psychotherapeutic benefits of participa-tion in research