Abstract
There has been a shift in mental health services thanks to the rise of the consumer/lived experience movement. Slogans like ‘Nothing About Us, Without Us’, ‘Experts by Experience’ and ‘Research With Us, Not On Us’ are being heard. Roles in co-producing mental health services are well-established in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and Australasia, and peer support services have become integral to the Australasian mental health system. However, the voice of those with lived experience of mental distress remains in its infancy within psychiatrist education and research. This is despite the advocacy from others, such as the Commission on the Future of Psychiatry, a joint emphasis by the World Psychiatry Association and The Lancet on the crucial role of service user educators in teaching recovery-oriented care principles and combating negative stereotypes.
In this editorial, we share our journey over the last 15 years to nurture the ecosystem supporting the lived experience voice’s growth and our varying successes and setbacks. We are all academics within the Department of Psychological Medicine, Wellington, University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, who identify either as members or as allies of the lived experience community.