‘We only come from one perspective’: Exploring experiences of allies supporting expert by experience leadership in mental health education

Happell, Brenda; Gordon, Sarah; Sharrock, Julie; Donovan, Aine; Warner, Terri

doi:10.1111/jpm.12955

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…The draft of the main results summary paper was also shared during the co-analysis and co-writing phases. 42,46 3 | RESULTS…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘ALL ABOUT MY IDEAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE’: Users, family members and experts by experience discussing a co‐designed service

Rocelli,

Aquili,

Giovanazzi

et al. 2024

Health Expectations

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IntroductionMany studies have investigated patients' understandings of how to optimise mental health services. However, only a few studies in the Italian context have involved experts by experience (EbEs), who can be ex‐users, family members of ex‐users or current service collaborators. Their role is crucial in implementing collaborative service quality assessment projects.MethodThe study investigated the experience of 35 EbEs,  users, and family members who carried out a 9‐month fortnightly project aimed at imagining an ‘ideal service’. The facilitators of the discussion groups (two EbEs) were interviewed; written reports of each meeting were produced with relevant comments, notes and specific suggestions; and content analysis was applied.ResultsThe most important result concerns the effectiveness of the project management method and group leadership carried out by the two EbEs. This approach allowed for complete autonomy of the work, without professional gaze or power imbalance. Also, the ideas and specific contents focused on by the two groups offer strategies to facilitate users' entry and reception in health care centres, to reduce the stigma of mental illness, to improve the centres' physical environment, to improve organisational aspects, to keep family members actively involved and to network mental health services with other territorial services.ConclusionsEbEs have proven to be key figures in ensuring equity of role in the service co‐design process. This also concerns a context, the Italian one, where their role has not yet been recognised and legalised. Their contribution and ideas to improve services could be fundamental not only in mental health centres, but also in other health facilities, and could concern the entire service delivery process rather than being limited to quality assurance, according to a virtuous circle based on active participation and transformation of the role of users.Patient or Public ContributionThis work resulted from close collaboration between the two EbEs who conducted the groups, users and family members, the university, and the psychiatrist in charge of the service. All of them contributed to the research. The EbEs, researchers and psychiatrist participated in the interpretation of the data and are the co‐authors of this paper.

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“…The draft of the main results summary paper was also shared during the co-analysis and co-writing phases. 42,46 3 | RESULTS…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After the analysis, all authors of the paper met to discuss the results and make any necessary changes. The draft of the main results summary paper was also shared during the co‐analysis and co‐writing phases 42,46 …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘ALL ABOUT MY IDEAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE’: Users, family members and experts by experience discussing a co‐designed service

Rocelli,

Aquili,

Giovanazzi

et al. 2024

Health Expectations

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Pitfalls and Barriers of Allyship at Work

Stephenson

2024

Palgrave Studies in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenization in Business

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Lived experience allyship in mental health services: Recommendations for improved uptake of allyship roles in support of peer workforces

Reeves,

Loughhead,

Teague

et al. 2024

Int J Mental Health Nurs

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Inclusion of service users in the design and delivery of mental health services is clearly articulated throughout Australian mental health action plans and stated as an expectation within contemporary mental health policy. International and local Australian research demonstrates benefits for the inclusion of lived experience workers in service users' recovery journey; however, persistent challenges and barriers limit their effective integration into transdisciplinary mental health service teams. Non‐lived experience workers who actively advocate and champion the inclusion of lived experience or peer workers, known as allies, are acknowledged and recognised as enablers for effective integration of peer workers to service teams. In this discursive paper, authors present recommendations for further development of allyship roles within leadership positions of mental health organisations in Australia. Leaders are in a position to influence the allocation of resources, redress power inequalities and facilitate opportunities for the inclusion of lived experience expertise across all levels of mental health organisations. This paper makes recommendations for areas of learning and unlearning ingrained bias and assumptions which may be detrimental to integration of lived experience workforces and hinder movement toward greater adoption of recovery‐orientated service delivery.

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‘We only come from one perspective’: Exploring experiences of allies supporting expert by experience leadership in mental health education

Cited by 3 publications

References 74 publications

‘ALL ABOUT MY IDEAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE’: Users, family members and experts by experience discussing a co‐designed service

‘ALL ABOUT MY IDEAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE’: Users, family members and experts by experience discussing a co‐designed service

Pitfalls and Barriers of Allyship at Work

Lived experience allyship in mental health services: Recommendations for improved uptake of allyship roles in support of peer workforces

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