Reflections on allyship in the context of a co-produced evaluation of a youth-integrated therapies mental health intervention

ABSTRACT

This paper reports on the reflections from members of the evaluation team – both allies and service user academics – about a co-produced approach to evaluation of the pilot of a youth-integrated therapies mental health intervention (co-evaluation). The co-evaluation is being facilitated particularly well through numerous service user academics being involved in the evaluation, and the commitment to co-production and active attendance to the responsibilities of allies by allies. However, multiple challenges still exist with significant implications for allyship. These include the need for us to ‘deepen our thinking and approaches to best accomplish authentic and effective engagement’ (Daya et al., 2020, 300) in support of co-production specific to the context of individual projects, the fluidity of the allyship position and the need for allies to consistently reinforce their commitment in word and in deed to it. We have also identified the need to acknowledge and respect the distinction between people in roles who happen to have experience and people in roles because they have experience.

KEYWORDS:

• Allyship
• co-production
• co-evaluation
• mental health

Disclosure statement

The authors report no potential conflicts of interest.

Notes

1. Note on terminology: Service user/s and consumer/s are used interchangeably through the present article to refer to people with lived experience of mental distress.

2. A Māori-language term for New Zealanders primarily of European descent.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Health, New Zealand [N/A].

Notes on contributors

Sarah Gordon

Sarah Gordon is a Senior Research Fellow/Clinical Lectuere - Service User Academic with the Department of Psycholgical Medicine, University of Otago Wellington. She leads a team and program of service user-led and co-produced education and research.

Tony Dowell

Tony Dowell is Professor of Primary Health Care and General Practice at the University of Otago in Wellington and a GP in Wellington. His current research interests include primary mental health care, communication between patients and health providers and the application of complexity and implementation science in health care settings.

Dasha Fedchuk

Darya Fedchuk is a Service User Academic and Clinical Psychology trainee in Wellington, New Zealand. Her interests involve working alongside underserved youth, rainbow communities, and bridging the gap between consumer-led approaches and traditional clinical practice.

Tracey Gardiner

Tracey Gardiner is a Research Assistant on the evaluation team based at the University of Otago Wellington, New Zealand. She also works in the Department of Psychological Medicine as a member of the World of Difference service user education and research group.

Sue Garrett

Sue Garrett worked as an occupational therapist in the UK and New Zealand before completing a Masters in Public Health. She currently works as a research fellow in the Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice. Her research interests include quantitative data capture and management, primary care interface and youth health.

Jo Hilder

Jo Hilder is Research Fellow in the Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice at the University of Otago Wellington, New Zealand and a member of the Applied Research on Communication in Health (ARCH) Group. She is has a background in applied linguistics, with research interests in communication in health care, particularly patient-clinician interaction.

Fiona Mathieson

Fiona Mathieson is a clinical psychologist and senior lecturer in psychology. She teaches a post graduate course in cognitive behaviour therapy and her research interests are in therapist competence development and primary care mental health.

Maria Stubbe

Dr Maria Stubbe is an Associate Professor in the Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice at the University of Otago Wellington, New Zealand. She co-directs the Applied Research on Communication in Health (ARCH) Group, and specialises in translational research focussing on analysis of clinical interactions and lived experiences of health and health care.

Rachel Tester

Rachel Tester is a Research Fellow based in the Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice at the University of Otago Wellington, New Zealand, and is a member of the Applied Research on Communication in Health (ARCH) Group. She also works in the Department of Psychological Medicine as programme manager for the World of Difference service user education and research group. Her research interests include health communication research on sensitive subjects relating to mental health, addictions & other stigmatised conditions.