CONSUMER SATISFACTION WITH INVOLVEMENT IN DRUG RESEARCH - A SOCIAL VALIDITY STUDY

Objective: To assess the social importance and personal benefit attach ed to involvement in drug research for participating families. Method: Parents of children with mental retardation or borderline IQ who took part in two drug studies were surveyed by mail 4 weeks after their in volvement. The questionnaire addressed the acceptability of study proc edures and satisfaction with study outcomes (''social validity''). Res ults: Forty (63.5%) of 63 families responded to the survey. in all, 83 % felt that their questions were satisfactorily answered regarding the role of medication for their children, and 88% were satisfied with th e individual conclusions reached regarding pharmacotherapy for their c hildren. Virtually all parents believed that the study assessments use d were important, and 88% indicated that they would join the study aga in if faced with the same choices. Conclusions: These parents appear t o have found the research experience to be of practical benefit to the m, and they were generally positive about their experiences. As this s eems to be the only published study of the social or perceived validit y of drug research, more surveys of this type are needed to assess con sumer reactions to a broader array or research experiences.