One Sarah, Service User/Survivor Researcher’s Lived Experience

I am a service user/survivor researcher using my own lived experience of mental health problems and using services to support others with mental health problems and now learning disabilities to be involved in shaping, doing, writing, speaking about and changing mental health and learning disabilities research in academia, the NHS and the voluntary sector.My aim is to 'speak up for those who have no voices' and to empower and support others to be heard themselves by taking part in and doing research that makes a difference to people's lives and to the support people are offered and receive.This poem is my service user/survivor researcher's perspective of 'coming of age' after 18 years of service user involvement, leadership and co-production of mental health research in England.It seeks to honour some of my many colleagues and the work we have done together.It acknowledges some of the heavy costs and challenges involved in voicing our own lived experiences and in having the honour of hearing and speaking up for others in developing, undertaking and publishing mental health research with the aim of making a difference for as many people living with mental health problems/disabilities as possible.

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