SUGAR: Sweetening service user and carer involvement in mental health research

2010 Conference

Abstract:

SUGAR: Service User Group Advisors on Research was established in 2009 to develop the involvement and collaboration of mental health service users and carers in an ongoing programme of mental health research at City University, London. The facilitated group of 16 service users and carers meets once a month with research staff to collaborate as required, including identification of research questions, project design, ethics, recruitment, data collection, analysis, report and paper writing, and dissemination of results. In addition, research capacity is developed as members of the group receive ongoing support, education, training and development. Topics include information technology, communication skills, research methods, ethics, research roles and responsibilities, developing research proposals, writing and presenting results.

In this session, researchers and members of SUGAR will describe how the group works and then present findings and indicators of success from a reflective stakeholder evaluation of the processes, experiences and outcomes of the group to date from the perspective of researchers and group members.