Service user involvement

There is evidence to suggest that researchers who involve the user/beneficiary group of their research during the early stages of the design phase are more likely to produce research results that have a real impact on that user/beneficiary community.

We actively encourage applicants to the Mental Health Research Programme to engage early with the user/beneficiary group(s) of the research they wish to conduct and expect all applicants to mention this consideration when making an application. How best to engage with the relevant user/beneficiary group will depend on the project concerned and the design. Applicants may find the following resources helpful:

• RAND Europe (2019): Patient and public involvement in research Enabling Meaningful Contributions
• Big Lottery Fund Good Practice Guide: User Involvement
• Hulatt & Lowes (2005) Involving Service Users in Health and Social Care Research. Routlege: Abingdon
• Involve: National Centre for Health Research (2013) Exploring the impact of public involvement on the quality of research
• Mental Health Research Network Mental health researchers’ toolkit for involving service user researchers
• Mental Health Research Network (2013) Good practice guidance for service user involvement
• McLaughlin (2009) Service-User Research in Health and Social Care Sage: London
• National Institution of Health Research (2009) Good practice guidance for the recruitment and involvement of service user and carer researchers
• Patterson, S., Trite, J., & Weaver, T (2014) Activity and views of service users involved in mental health research: UK survey. British Journal of Psychiatry, 205(1), 68–75. Wallcraft, Schrank & Amering 2009
• Telford, R., & Faulkner, A (2004) Learning about service user involvement in mental health research. Journal of Mental Health, 13(6), 549–559
• Wallcraft, Schrank & Amering (2009) Handbook of Service User Involvement in Mental Health Research Wiley-Blackwell; Chichester