My Journey from advisory group member to co-applicant for CIRCuiTS™ – a Participatory Practice approach

by Alex Kenny, CIRCuiTS advisor and co-applicant

My recovery journey includes using my lived experience of psychosis in research for the design, delivery and evaluation of mental health services. In other words, embracing Participatory Practice – a practical and hopeful way of recovering.  This provides an opportunity to influence and improve the policies, systems and healthcare that affect the person living with psychosis and the quality of life of their communities.

Through collaboration, skills development and being an agent of change, the process of participatory practice is empowering and confidence-building and contributes to people feeling well again. I became a valued source of expertise to others.  

My first step on this journey was when I was discharged from secondary care. I was invited to lead a self-help group and work as a peer support worker. I found it rewarding as I learned the value of using my own lived experience of mental health to help and guide others.

The next step was through my local recovery college, where I learned about patient and public involvement and became an advisory group member on two academic research studies using CIRCuiTS™ Cognitive Remediation Therapy to improve cognition and thinking in people with psychosis.

I contributed to the creation and amendment of recruitment materials, including the invitation letter, participant information sheet, trial posters and leaflets. Our study group discussed research governance and analysis, including ways to maximise recruitment and the challenges and advantages of the different arms of therapy. I was also a critical reviewer and co-author of several publications.

I was keen to further my work in mental health research. My advisory group peers told me about the McPin Foundation (www.mcpin.org). I signed up to their network and became a peer reviewer for an academic journal through training led by McPin.

My next steps came thick and fast – I become a McPin Peer Researcher, then a Public Involvement in Research Officer and was then promoted to Senior Public Involvement in Research Officer. I coordinated lived experience advisory panels (LEAPs) on a portfolio of projects, mainly in Digital Mental Health Research across the country. 

My role on the CIRCuiTS™ LEAP has continued, and I was invited as a co-applicant on a new successful and exciting Wellcome Trust grant that will create and tailor AI support for the CIRCuiTS™ user. I was involved in developing this research proposal and attending the interview with the Wellcome Trust, and I will lead the lived experience components of the project, including providing training and support for all lived experience experts. I am looking forward to being a part of this interesting piece of work and our inclusive research team.

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