Understanding the impact of expert by experience roles in mental health education

Background: People with lived experience of mental distress and mental health service use (known as Experts by Experience) in mental health education have demonstrated positive outcomes and attitudinal change in students. Despite these findings, academic positions for Experts by Experience remain limited in number and scope, and the implementation of positions has primarily been driven by supportive mental health academics (known as allies). Less is known about the impact on Experts by Experience themselves, their colleagues and the broader organisation. Objectives: The aim of this research is to better understand the impact of EBE on the universities they work in, from the perspectives of allies who have supported the implementation and sustainability of their positions. Design: Qualitative exploratory. Settings: Academic institutions providing education programs for health professionals, and had implemented academic positions for Experts by Experience, in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. Participants: Allies involved in supporting the implementation of Experts by Experience roles in mental health education (n = 16). Methods: Ethics approval was obtained prior to study commencement. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 participants, based on a broad interview guide. Data were analysed to identify main themes. Analysis was conducted independently by two researchers and reviewed by the team. Results: Participants described the impact of Experts by Experience in mental health education as positively influencing the participants themselves, the Experts by Experience, their colleagues, and the broader organisational culture. Conclusions: Support for the implementation of Experts by Experience roles must move beyond the efforts of allies alone. Demonstrating the benefits beyond student outcomes is crucial to achieving this goal. The positive impact for a broader range of stakeholders provides further evidence of the value of Experts by Experience and supports the need to develop a more strategic approach to implementation of these roles.