What Is the Value of Lived Experience Within Mental Health Professionals, and How Can It Influence Practice? A Systematic Review.

With one in eight people living with a mental health condition as of 2019, it is reasonable to assume that this population would also include mental health professionals. Despite the global prevalence of lived experience of this nature, its integration into practice and professional roles has yet to be achieved on a wider scale, with its value underestimated and affixed with a significant level of stigma. This study aimed to explore the perceived and actualised value of lived experience among mental health professionals and its influence on practice. A qualitative approach utilising systematic review methodology identified and synthesised the findings of 10 relevant papers. Such an approach acknowledged the range and complexity, and thus the subjectivity, of identified experiences, creating the interpretive space necessary to promote a deeper understanding, from a phenomenological perspective, of how mental health professionals with lived experience utilise their unique knowledge and skills in practice and the value added. Thematic analysis generated two main themes, each with two sub-themes. These were the Intrapersonal and Interpersonal value of lived experience in terms of their influence on practice, the former with Attitudes, Values and Beliefs and Deeper Understanding as sub-themes; the latter with Connection and Approach to Practice as sub-themes. The results of this study have significant implications not only for policy and practice but also for research, calling for social change around mental health stigma. Ultimately, the results highlight the value of integrating lived experience within the healthcare workforce and clinical practice, and the unique perspective and insight it brings.