You can use your direct, first-hand mental health experiences to help shape, plan and deliver a mental health service that puts people first.
DIY Futures Stories Project and Book 2012 – 2014
From 2012-2014 the DIY Futures storytelling project ran, bringing together people with lived experience of mental distress and project staff. They worked side by side to listen to and record people’s stories across Powys and this resulted in a beautiful hard-backed book called “it’s the inside that matters”.
The ebook is available now … just click on the image below to dip into it!
Mental Health Narratives Project 2007-2011
This project was a four-year participatory action research study; a collaboration facilitated within the statutory mental health services by a mental health nurse manager working alongside six people whose identity moved beyond ‘service user’ to embracing that of co-researcher over this period. The main focus of the study was that the six ‘service user’ researchers interviewed 31 people currently diagnosed with severe and enduring mental illness and receiving input from the statutory mental health services. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were subsequently mapped and analysed by the research team using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). In order that the people were enabled to undertake these roles, the study included a process of interviewing and appointing service user researchers followed by a programme of training workshops, provision of supervision and discussion group/peer support facilitated by the mental health nurse manager throughout the programme.
Read more about the project here and access the full research paper here.
Case Study for 1000+ Lives Programme 2012. Partnering with patients through stories for improvement.
Joint Presentation about the research project.
Read more about the project here and access the full research paper here.
Case Study for 1000+ Lives Programme 2012. Partnering with patients through stories for improvement.
Joint Presentation about the research project.
What people said about being involved...
“We have moved from being service users, to being researchers, a positive identity, which has motivated us all, yes we are useful, we have a purpose, we are being valued for helping to compile, an incredible piece of work, for many of us, confidence has returned, passion and purpose too, as well as an overwhelming feeling of pride, to be part of such a courageous project… For us, being part of a team, sharing, supporting, discovering and importantly, laughing together, has been incredibly affirming.”
“Well let’s hope all of us telling our stories makes a bit of difference, it should. It’s the most important things about us”
“Well let’s hope all of us telling our stories makes a bit of difference, it should. It’s the most important things about us”
Sharing the learning from stories projects
Stories for Improvement Training Series 1000 Lives Plus – training information to support NHS Wales organisations spread the use of stories for improvement. More here.
Scottish Recovery Network. Learning about other people’s thoughts and stories of recovery can inspire hope and challenge preconceptions. Find a number of recovery stories that have been submitted here.
Scottish Recovery Network. Learning about other people’s thoughts and stories of recovery can inspire hope and challenge preconceptions. Find a number of recovery stories that have been submitted here.