Hello, my name is Kate McKee, and I am a PhD student in the Couple and Family Therapy program at Michigan State University. My dissertation research is on the experiences and decision-making processes of couples with a child with a life-threatening genetic condition. The focus of this research is on understanding how couples communicate about genetic testing in regards to their children and how they decide about future children knowing there is a potential or actual genetic risk.
I am looking for couples who:
- Are married or cohabitating.
- Have at least one child diagnosed with an inherited genetic disorder.
- Desire to have another child.
- Speak English.
- Couples who live in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, or Indiana (for face-to-face interview).
What is involved:
- Couples will be asked to participate in one joint, face-to-face interview that will last approximately 1 hour to 1 ½ hours. Additionally, each member will be asked to participate in an individual interview that will last approximately 15 minutes. You will also be asked to complete a brief demographics questionnaire.
- Each couple will receive a $50 VISA gift card for participating in the study.
The interviews are designed to explore the experiences of raising a child with a genetic disorder, how couples communicated with each other to decide about having additional children, and how to proceed with genetic testing in vitro for the subsequent children. I am also interested in the couple’s experience with the medical system, as well as other factors that shaped their decision-making processes concerning having additional children.
If you have any questions or are interested in participating in the study, please contact Kate McKee at 269-267-7190 or szubecz1@msu.edu.
Thank you for your consideration.