The stigma of identifying as having a lived experience runs before me: challenges for lived experience roles

Abstract

Background: Lived experience practitioners can contribute to improved outcomes for people with mental illness, supplementing traditional mental health services and reducing health care costs. However, lived experience practitioners frequently face stigma and discrimination within their work roles.

Aim: To understand the impact of stigma and discrimination on the effectiveness of lived experience roles from the perspective of lived experience practitioners.

Method: In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 lived experience practitioners within a grounded theory study.

Results: Issues of stigma and discrimination were identified as a core category of this study. Participants described stigma and discrimination so prevalent as to be considered a “normal” part of their working life. Professional isolation and attitudinal barriers from colleagues were seen to inhibit the effectiveness of lived experience roles.

Conclusions: Lived experience practitioners can provide a vital contribution to stigma reduction broadly, however, the stigma and discrimination they face within work roles must be addressed to allow this contribution to be effective.

Keywords:

• Consumers
• lived experience practitioners
• peer work
• mental health services
• stigma
• discrimination

Acknowledgements

Participants are sincerely thanked for giving their time and valuable perspectives to this study. The authors particularly thank Debra Nizette for her advocacy of this work.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors thank Nursing and Midwifery Office Queensland for providing funding to support this important work.