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Service user involvement in mental health nursing education is increasing and a developing evidence base is demonstrating more positive attitudes towards people labelled with a mental illness. To date, most research on this approach has focussed on the perspectives of nursing students, with very limited research drawing on the expertise and opinions of service users. The aim of this study was to explore potential improvements in mental health nursing education, and ways service user involvement can be enhanced as defined by service users themselves. An international qualitative research project was undertaken involving focus groups with service users ( n  = 50) from Australia and five European countries. The research was coproduced between Experts by Experience (service users) and mental health nurse academics. Data were analysed thematically. Findings reflected two broad themes: (1) improvements to content, including: further emphasis on developing emotional intelligence, understanding mental distress and broader context of care; (2) Improvements to service user involvement, including: support, format, and teaching and learning techniques. These findings provide direction for maximising the benefits of service user involvement and show the value of the expertise of service users.

Nurses play a central role in the delivery of quality mental health services. Desired qualities of a mental health nurse, in particular therapeutic relationships, have been described in the literature, primarily reflecting the nursing paradigm. Service users' perspectives must be more fully understood to reflect contemporary mental health policy and to recognize their position at the centre of mental health service delivery and to directly influence and contribute their perspectives and experiences to mental health nursing education. A qualitative exploratory research project was undertaken to inform and enhance understanding of what service users see as the desired qualities of a mental health nurse. The project was co-produced by service users as experts by experience, and mental health nurse academics to ensure the service user perspective was privileged. This international project conducted in Europe and Australia included a series of focus groups with service users (n = 50). Data were analysed thematically. Being with me was a major theme identified and reflected the sub-themes: respect towards service users as persons; empathy, compassion and effective communication; understanding service users; knowledge of services; and fostering hope and believing that recovery is possible. These qualities specifically reflecting the service user perspective must be central to mental health nursing curricula to facilitate the development of holistic care and recovery-oriented practice. These findings were utilized to directly inform development of a co-produced mental health nursing learning module, to maximize genuine service user involvement, and to fully realize the benefits of service user led education for undergraduate nursing students., (© 2020 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.)

Purpose: To examine nursing students' perceptions of Experts by Experience impact on theoretical and practical learning., Design and Methods: Qualitative exploratory study involving focus groups with undergraduate nursing students from five European countries and Australia. Data were analyzed thematically., Findings: Participants described positive impacts as: bridging the theory and practice gap through first-hand experience, including sub-themes: bringing theory to life; can't be taught any other way, and innovative teaching methods fueling curiosity., Relevance to Clinical Practice: Integrating theory and practice is key for quality mental health nursing practice. Experts by experience can potentially contribute to reducing this enduring gap., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Expert by experience involvement in mental health education for health professional programmes has increased in recent decades. The related literature has articulated the benefits, and changes in attitudes have been measured in some studies. Less attention has been devoted to ways this learning approach could be improved. The aim of this paper is to present the nursing students perspectives on how Expert by Experience input into nursing curricula could be enhanced. Qualitative exploratory research was undertaken, involving focus groups with students who had completed a mental health learning module co-produced by Experts by Experience and nurse academics. Results show two main themes: getting the structure right, and changes to content and approach. Some student responses could directly influence changes to the learning module. In other instances, responses indicate the need to better prepare students of the value of lived experience knowledge in its own right, rather than adjunct to more traditional methods of education. These findings are important in encouraging reflection on how future learning modules co-produced by Experts by Experience and Mental Health Nursing academics can be refined and better articulated.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Consumer participation in mental health services is embedded in mental health policy in many countries. The negative attitudes of nurses and other health professionals to consumer participation poses a significant obstacle to this policy goal Involving mental health "Experts by Experience" in the education of nursing students demonstrates positive attitudinal change WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: More detailed understanding of nursing students' experiences and perspectives about being taught mental health nursing by "Experts by Experience" An international focus, extending understandings about how Experts by Experience might be perceived in a broader range of countries WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Positive attitudes towards people labelled with mental illness are essential for quality nursing practice Nurses have an important leadership role in facilitating consumer participation within health services. It is critical that their attitudes are professional and optimistic. ABSTRACT: Introduction Consumer participation is central to mental health policy. Negative attitudes of health professionals are barriers to realizing policy goals. Evidence suggests consumers (Experts by Experience) can influence positive attitudes in nursing students. Research in this area to date is limited and primarily from Australia and New Zealand. Aim To enhance understanding of nursing students' perspectives and experiences of being taught mental health by an Expert by Experience. Method A qualitative exploratory approach was used. Focus groups were conducted with nursing students from seven universities in Australia and Europe. Data were analysed thematically. Results Student participants described how exposure to Experts by Experience challenged their views and attitudes and provided a mechanism for reflection, critique and change. The main theme "changing mindset" includes two subthemes: exposing stereotypes and reflection. Discussion This unique international study demonstrates the capacity for Experts by Experience to contribute to positive attitudinal change towards mental illness in nursing students. This changed mindset must occur for policy goals to be realized. Implications for practice Nurses in all areas of practice will work with people labelled with mental illness and experiencing mental distress. Overcoming stereotypes and adopting more positive attitudes is essential to deliver quality mental health care., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Understanding student attitudes towards people diagnosed with mental illness is central to realising evidence-based nursing education and policy at an international level. Redressing stigmatised views can assist in preparing nursing students to work in mental health settings and support the active involvement of consumers in all aspects of mental health service delivery (known as: consumer participation) at individual and systemic levels. Accurate research on nursing student attitudes is dependent on the availability of valid and reliable measures., Objectives: Using data from and international study, this research sought to: (1) evaluate two measures of nurse student attitudes, and (2) explore whether attitudes to people labelled with a diagnosis of mental illness and who use mental health services is associated with more positive attitudes to consumer participation in mental health services., Design: Self-report quantitative data gained via the Consumer Participation Questionnaire (CPQ) and Mental Health Nurse Education Survey (MHNES)., Setting and Participants: University nursing students in Australia and Western Europe., Data: Pooled CPQ and MHNES data from Australia, Ireland, Finland, Norway and the Netherlands., Methods: The MHNES and CPQ were evaluated via exploratory factor analysis and Rasch modelling. Hierarchical regression was applied to see whether attitudes to mental illness and mental health practice relate to attitudes to consumer participation after addressing demographic differences., Results: Refined MHNES scales demonstrated overall fit on Rasch models. Reliabilities for MHNES ranged from 0.82 to 0.73. Perceived value of mental health nursing to consumers and lower negative stereotypes were associated with positive attitudes to consumer participation independent of age, gender and country [F (9, 381) = 15.78, p < .001]. Students who considered mental health nursing made a valuable contribution represented the strongest association with a positive attitude towards consumer participation., Conclusions: Differences in openness to consumer participation are partly attributable to views about people diagnosed with mental illness and the perception that mental health practice makes a positive difference to these people within health service contexts., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The stigma associated with a diagnosis of mental illness is well known yet has not reduced significantly in recent years. Health professionals, including nurses, have been found to share similar negative attitudes towards people with labelled with mental illness as the general public. The low uptake of mental health nursing as a career option reflects these stigmatised views and is generally regarded as one of the least popular areas of in which to establish a nursing career. The aim of the current project was to examine nursing students' attitudes towards the concept of mental illness and mental health nursing across four European countries (Ireland, Finland, Norway and the Netherlands), and Australia, using the Opening Minds Scale and the Mental Health Nurse Education survey. The surveys were distributed to students prior to the commencement of the mental health theory component. Attitudes towards mental health nursing were generally favourable. Differences in opinion were evident in attitudes towards mental illness as a construct; with students from Australia and Ireland tending to have more positive attitudes than students from Finland, Norway and the Netherlands. The future quality of mental health services is dependent on attracting sufficient nurses with the desire, knowledge and attitudes to work in mental health settings. Understanding attitudes towards mental illness and mental health nursing is essential to achieving this aim.