Personal experiences with mental health issues or as being a relative - application into research

Alice Katrine BURHOLT1, Birgitte LERBÆK1, Malene TERP2, Line Myrup GREGERSEN2, Kirsten JOHANSEN3, Rikke JØRGENSEN1,4

1Unit for Psychiatric Research, Psychiatry, Aalborg University Hospital., Aalborg, Denmark
2Center for Recovery and Co-creation, Aalborg University Hospital - Psychiatry. , Aalborg, Denmark
3Unit for Forensic Research, Mental Health Department Middelfart, Psychiatry., Middelfart, Denmark
4Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University., Aalborg, Denmark

In September 2020 peer support workers were employed in eight new FACT teams in mental health services in the North Denmark Region. The peer support workers were all paid workers in permanent positions, employed 20 h pr. week working alongside the non-peer professionals in the teams.

Shortly hereafter, a 4-year research program “Peer Support and Recovery 2021 - 2024” was initiated with the overall purpose to investigate peer support and recovery from the perspectives of the peer support workers, non-peer professionals and patients. The idea for the research program emerged by “coincidence” and evolved fast in the presence of dedicated and committed persons, all with lived experiences with mental health conditions or with lived experiences being a relative to a person with a mental health condition.



The presentation will address how lived experiences are applied into the research process together with a discussion of potentials, barriers, and ethical issues of lived experiences in research.

Issues that the presentation will touch on:


  • Overall barriers and challenges of application of lived experiences into the research process

  • Disclosure of lived experiences when conducting interviews with peer support workers and patients

  • Contributions to the interview guides with ethical considerations

  • Using experiential knowledge in coding and analysis of qualitative data.


Furthermore, the presentation will address suggestions for future use of involvement of persons with lived experiences in research in mental health services.