Screening Protocol for the Evaluation of Research Participants at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC)

The MPRC/NIDA collaborative research program attempts to: elucidate the nature of serious mental illnesses, drug abuse and addiction; determine the potential use of new therapies, both pharmacological and psychosocial; and decipher the long-term effects of drugs of abuse on the development, maturation, function, and structure of the brain and other organ systems. In support of this work, the scientific goal of this screening protocol is to assess potential research participants' eligibility for research studies. Screening will include medical and psychological tests and procedures. The data collected during screening are a unique and valuable source of information that aids in the research mission. Therefore, a secondary goal of this protocol is to obtain data that characterizes the population of subjects contacting NIDA about research participation and to analyze data so obtained, such as that on the prevalence and consequences of HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, and related diseases and issues of selection and sample bias in clinical research.

The screening process will be done in two stages, a telephone interview and an in-person evaluation. The telephone interview will last approximately 20 minutes and be conducted solely via the NIDA call center. Answers provided during the phone interview will indicate whether a caller is eligible for in-person screening. Those who appear eligible will be given an appointment at either NIDA or MPRC. This protocol pertains only to the in-person participants at MPRC. Written informed consent will be obtained when the person arrives. The screening process can involve up to 5 visits to MPRC.