Vulnerable Populations
People who are considered vulnerable are those who require greater protection than normal against the potential risks of participation in a project/study. For example, they may have difficulty providing voluntary, informed consent due to limitations in decision-making capacity or situational circumstances or because they are especially at risk for exploitation. Vulnerabilities ultimately relate to challenges to the ethical principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. Some common vulnerable populations include:
• Children (under 18 or the age of majority)
• Pregnant women
• Individuals who are incarcerated (prisoners)
• Individuals with a debilitating mental health/psychiatric condition (e.g., PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder)
• Individuals with a cognitive impairment
• Residents of a facility (such as a mental health facility, nursing home, treatment center)
• Individuals with a life-threatening illness or condition (e.g., cancer, HIV/AIDS)
• Individuals who are educationally or economically disadvantaged
• Older adults (people over 65 years of age)
• Indigenous peoples
• Individuals who have experienced traumatic events (e.g., abuse, death, natural disasters)
• Individuals involved in a crisis (e.g., war, natural disaster)
• Veterans
• Homeless/unsheltered individuals
• Individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning)
• Immigrants or refugees
• Individuals who are not fluent in the language the study is being conducted in (e.g., non-English speakers in studies conducted in the United States)
• Individuals with diagnosable addictions
• Subordinates of the researcher (e.g., employees, students, or teachers when the researcher is a supervisor, instructor, or principal) - Note that research on this population is permitted at USU by faculty and staff, it is not permitted for doctoral students
Often, research will include people who fit in the above categories by chance. That is, if you are conducting a survey among employees at a software company, you might have people in your sample who are pregnant, who have experienced trauma, or who are living with a life-threatening illness. The concerns from an IRB perspective arise when targeting a vulnerable population. For example, a study that surveys only pregnant women or only those who have experienced trauma, etc. If you are proposing to target a vulnerable population, you will need to demonstrate to the IRB that your procedures are ethically sound, that the risks to participants are as minimal, and that the scientific contributions and potential benefits of your study are significant enough to warrant exposing vulnerable individuals to the risks and burden of participation.
The most common vulnerable population that is considered is subordinates of the researcher. If you are a faculty member, supervisor, team lead, or in some other sort of leadership role, it is common to propose research ideas that would include the participation of people who are in roles subordinate to you. However, it is important to understand participants in a position subordinate to you are considered vulnerable (see Research on Subordinate Populations for more details).