At Prolific, participant welfare is a priority. If a participant says something in their study responses that worries you, whether they've expressed thoughts of suicide or self-harm, indicated a risk to others, or shared something else that concerns you, you can report it to us and we'll take it from there.
What counts as a welfare concern
You should report a concern if a participant shares anything that suggests they or someone else may be at risk, including:
Expressions of suicidal thoughts or ideation
Mentions of self-harm or intent to self-harm
Statements that suggest they may harm or have harmed another person
Expressions of fear for their own safety or the safety of someone else
Anything else that leads you to believe a participant may be in danger
If you're not sure whether something warrants a report, it's always better to flag it. We'd rather hear from you.
What happens when you report a concern
When you contact us with a welfare concern, our team will review it and reach out to the participant directly. We'll signpost them to relevant support services and make sure they know help is available.
We handle all welfare reports with care and confidentiality.
How to report a concern
To report a welfare concern, contact our support team and include the following information:
The participant ID
What type of risk or harm the participant has expressed, for example suicidal thoughts, self-harm, or a risk to someone else's safety
The more detail you can share about the nature of the concern, the better equipped we'll be to signpost the participant to the right support services.
You can reach our team using the Support icon at the bottom right of this page.