SynthesisHealth expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy2024
What Do We Know About Sharing Power in Co-Production in Mental Health Research? A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis.
Synthesis in Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Facilitators of and barriers to patient and public involvement in mental health research within university settings: a systematic review and meta-synthesis.Psychological medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Reflections on the role of Peer Researchers in eating disorders: identifying challenges, best practices, and future directions.Journal of eating disorders · 2026Article
- Developing Best Practices in Co-Production With Lived Experience Experts in Bipolar Research: Insights From the AMBIENT-BD Lived Experience Advisory Panel.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026Article
- How, why, for whom, and in what contexts organisational and team dynamics shape, and are shaped by, service user researchers in higher education mental health research centres: a realist review protocol.Research involvement and engagement · 2026Review
- Tensions as productive forces in coproduced mental health research: an explorative qualitative study.Research involvement and engagement · 2026Article
- How Lived Experience Advisory Groups Contribute to the Design and Conduct of Mental Health Research.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026Article
- "We Don't Normally Go Down This Avenue; This Is Normally Taboo": Using Co-Design to Develop a Training Intervention for Spiritual Health in Primary Care.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026Article
- Democratising health and social care research through long-term public involvement and engagement: a qualitative process evaluation of the Community Research and Engagement Network (CoREN).Research involvement and engagement · 2026Article
- Co-Production With Mental Health Family Carers: The Value, Outcomes and Benefits for Family Carers and Academic Researchers.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026Article
- One Eye Open: Reflections on Embedding Lived Experience in Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, and Mood Disorder Research.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026Article
- Beyond a buzzword: the need for shared language, education, and enhanced reporting of disability inclusive co-design research.Research involvement and engagement · 2026Article
- Leveraging co-production in the systematic review of evidence to update the pan-Canadian Oncology Symptom Triage and Remote Support (COSTaRS) practice guides.Canadian oncology nursing journal = Revue canadienne de nursing oncologique · 2026Article
- Article
- "In Their Own Words": A Qualitative Exploration of Lived Experience and Healthcare Professional Perspectives on Evaluating a Digital Intervention for Binge Eating.The International journal of eating disorders · 2025Article
- Towards Coproduction in Mental Health Academia: A Cooperative Inquiry.International journal of mental health nursing · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundGuidance on co-production between researchers and people with lived experience was published in 2018 by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) advisory group, previously known as INVOLVE. This guidance described sharing power as a key principle within co-production. Authentic sharing of power within co-produced mental health research does not always occur however and remains a challenge to achieve within many projects.
objectivesTo explore what has been learned about the sharing of power in co-production within mental health research since the publication of these guidelines, by synthesising qualitative literature relating to power within co-produced mental health research.
methodsWe carried out a systematic review with thematic synthesis. We searched CINHAL, Embase and PubMed databases to identify qualitative or mixed-method studies relating to power within co-produced mental health research. Studies were independently screened by two reviewers for inclusion and appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool (CASP) for qualitative research.
resultsWe identified nine papers that met the criteria for inclusion and were included in the synthesis. Three themes were generated: (1) Battling to share power against a more powerful system, (2) Empowerment through relationships and (3) The journey is turbulent, but it is not supposed to be smooth.
conclusionsResults highlight that power is pervasive, especially within the hierarchical systems research is often conducted within. Sharing power within co-produced mental health research is an ongoing complex process that is not intended to be easy. Respectful trusting relationships can help facilitate power sharing. However, ultimately meaningful change needs to come from research funders, universities and NHS providers. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The study authors include a lived experience researcher who contributed to the review design, analysis and write-up.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.