Who gets to define minoritised experience in mental health research? At a participatory action research workshop I participated in, white… more
Category: Lived experience work
From involvement to accountability: why lived experience must hold power
Across mental health systems, the language around lived experience has shifted. Co-production is now embedded in strategies, lived experience roles… more
The price of participation: co-production and lived experience in a capitalist mental health system
There is a growing buzz around lived experience, service-user voice, and co-production in mental health. And rightly so; these are… more
From tokenism to fair pay: valuing lived experience in mental health
Lived experience is everywhere in mental health policy, services and research — at least in theory. We talk about “co-production”,… more
When Lived Experience Work Doesn’t Feel Like a Choice
I became involved with lived experience work when I was sixteen, because I was angry at the experiences I’d had… more
Who decides the value of lived experience? It is them, not us.
My lived experience is valuable, and I know that; I am someone who will not let other people knock down… more
The challenges faced by those in lived experience roles
This blog post is the text of a thread originally posted on X (formerly Twitter) by @TheTealTigerUK on 30/05/2024, published on the… more
Better together? Community and the mental health lived experience landscape
From April 2023 — March 2024, I worked with NSUN on a piece of research exploring community and the mental… more
Navigating class as a lived experience advocate
There’s always an undeniable tension that exists between my class background and career in the mental health sector, between my personal identity and how much I’ve needed to change in order to fit in…. more
Is it time Lived Experience Professionals set up their own union?
Our unifying theme, across all posts, is challenging sanism. We challenge it in whatever area of an organisation we work in just by being visible. … more
Unionisation options for lived experience workers
“Contemplation of the different ways in which lived experience workers might become unionised, and hopefully gain power in the workplace, can open up further critical thinking about a politics of mental health and how this might be advanced by progressive trade unions.”… more
Call for reviewers of mental health research papers
We’re looking for people with lived experience of mental ill-health, distress and trauma to summarise and respond to recently published mental health research … more