Evidence for Change: Participation in research to inform policy and transform practice

4 Mar 2010

On the 28^th January 2010, The Mental Health Research Network Cymru, Involving People and Hafal jointly hosted an event that brought together mental health service users, carers and researchers.

The aim of the day was to create a user-researcher expert group that would develop high quality research proposals that are methodologically sound and aimed at informing policy development and transforming practice.

Network members participated in a range of discussions

Starting the day, keynote speakers Dr Angela Sweeney & Dr Louise Morgan spoke of being user/survivor researchers and explained the different models for involving people in user/survivor research. Ideas started to flow and the delegates quickly came up with a list of topics that had the potential to be developed into funding bids suitable for submission to major funding bodies. The ideas were grouped into three areas from which the delegates intending developing research proposals: the impact of Mental Health issues on carers; treatment, medication & side effects; fear – barriers to involvement.

In the afternoon, Therapist Rob Turner & Mary Morris delivered a highly original presentation when they spoke about their experience of being involved in Mental Health research. They told the same story but from different perspectives, giving the group a real insight into the ups and downs of working as a partnership.

At the end of the day, the three research questions were presented back to the group and a number of delegates expressed a commitment to taking the ideas forward.

Phil Jones, Research Portfolio Development Fellow, Mental Health Research Network Cymru said: The workshop was a great success. It provided the platform for carers, service-users and professional researchers to share their experiences of being involved in research. It also highlighted a crucial role that can be played by researchers who have also been or are service-users. They are in a unique position being able to see research from both sides. They understand the needs and aspirations of service-users whilst at the same time they know the limitations and constraints placed upon researchers by research governance, research ethics and research funding bodies. Hopefully, this will result in a new brand of research that reflects the goals of service-users, researchers, funding bodies and policy makers alike.