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Purpose: This paper aims to explore the use of lived experience research in peer work. Design/methodology/approach: A suite of user-friendly and engaging lived experience research resources was introduced to consumers by peer workers. In-depth interviews were conducted with 33 consumer participants and five peer workers about their experiences. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Findings: The role of the peer workers appeared critical in ensuring that participants, despite their varied needs, preferences and backgrounds, derived optimum benefit from each resource. Features in resource delivery that promoted a positive experience included presenting the resources in the context of an existing relationship, providing clear explanations, going through resources together, encouraging reflection, taking enough time; and flexible delivery. Peer workers viewed the resources as potentially useful in their everyday peer work and as a valuable addition to their peer work toolkit. Practical implications: The benefit of lived experience research to consumers is likely to be optimised by supportive and thoughtful delivery of the resources. Peer workers have the skills and are in an ideal position to do this. Bringing lived experience research to consumers provides peer workers with a potentially unique and helpful approach for supporting and promoting recovery and is congruent with their overall practice. Originality/value: Lived experience research has the potential to benefit consumers directly but is rarely brought to their attention. This paper is the first to examine the potential role of peer workers in introducing learnings from lived experience research to consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore how adults with lived experiences of voice hearing, who have participated in hearing voices groups based on approaches of the Hearing Voices Movement, understand their voice hearing experiences (VHE). A phenomenological approach guided the study design. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with five participants who attended a hearing voices group. Participants experienced a journey of understanding VHE. The overarching theme 'tension and recalibration' permeated five themes: beliefs about voices; navigating the relationship with my voices; learning to live with my voices; rediscovering myself with my voices; and, influences to understanding my voices. This study highlights how voice hearers' understanding can evolve over time and throughout phases of recovery. Implications regarding intervention to support individuals to explore VHE are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lived experience research is conducted by people who have experience of mental health issues and is therefore better placed than more traditional research to illuminate participants' experiences. Findings that focus on identifying enablers of recovery from a lived experience perspective have the potential to assist people in their recovery process. However, this lived experience research is often difficult to find, access and interpret. We co-produced user-friendly and engaging resources to disseminate findings from six lived experience research studies. This paper seeks to answer the research questions: a) Did exposure to lived experience research increase hopefulness for participants?; and b) How else did interacting with lived experience research resources influence participants' lives? Methods: Thirty-eight participants were introduced to four resources of their choosing by peer workers over a four-week period. The helpfulness of resources was evaluated using mixed methods, including a quasi-experimental analysis of change in hope, an anonymous survey and in-depth interviews. Results: Findings indicated that the resources promoted hope, but that increases in hopefulness may not be seen immediately. Other impacts include that the resources: encouraged helpful activities; provided a positive experience; increased valued knowledge; encouraged people to reflect on their journey and think constructively about mental health issues; helped people to feel less alone; and assisted people to explain their situation to others. Conclusions: The research suggests the potential usefulness of lived experience research resources, presented in user-friendly formats, in the lives of people who experience mental health issues and implies a need to nurture this type of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]