Harnessing Lived Experience in Mental Health Recovery: Co-producing a Self-Directed Relapse Prevention Manual

Background

There is growing recognition of the value of self-directed, co-produced resources in supporting recovery from mental health conditions. This paper reports on the co-production and development of a novel self-help manual. The Peace of Mind (PoM) manual provides practical steps to support recognition of relapse signatures, relapse prevention planning, mental health recovery, goal-setting and successful living, authored by an individual with over 30 years of lived experience.

Methods

The manual was developed through personal experiential reflection and informal peer engagement, incorporating practical relapse prevention strategies, behavioural tools, and motivational guidance. Detailed comments on the manual were gained from patients with previous inpatient experience, carers and mental health peer workers at an NHS mental health trust. Online feedback was then sought from a Patient Public Involvement (PPI) group at the Centre for Health Services Studies, University of Kent, to assess acceptability and perceived usefulness ahead of future formal evaluation.

Results

Preliminary feedback indicated high levels of engagement and appreciation for the manual’s purpose, general accessibility, relatable tone, and emphasis on empowerment from a lived experience perspective. PPI reviews affirmed the relevance and clarity of the manual and endorsed its potential value in inpatient and community mental health settings. Patients, carers and peer workers provided critical constructive comments on content, structure, format, tone, language and usefulness which was used to refine the intervention for further usability and implementation in an NHS setting.