Considerations for peer research and implications for mental health professionals: learning from research on food insecurity and severe mental illness.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT: Peer research methodologies and methods are increasingly used in research, particularly to benefit from lived experiences. The experiences of peer researchers with severe mental illness are less common, including the impact on them of conducting peer-led research.

WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE: This paper shares the experience of peer research and suggests in the context of food insecurity, that it is not well understood by some healthcare professionals.

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Implications include considerations around trauma-informed care and the need for screening for food insecurity in mental healthcare settings. Research implications include providing training for peer research and needing to consider longevity of peer researcher relationships.

ABSTRACT: Introduction Food insecurity means that a person does not have access to sufficient nutritious food for normal growth and health. This can lead to health problems such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other long term chronic health conditions. People living with a severe mental illness are more likely to experience food insecurity than people without a severe mental illness. Aim The aim of this paper is to present a lived experience narrative of two peer researchers. Peer researchers conducted interviews with adults with severe mental illness from Northern England as part of a funded research project. These interviews discussed experiences of food insecurity and strategies to tackle it and were conducted between March and December 2022. Thesis The following paper does not discuss the results of the interviews themselves. Rather the narrative begins with an overview of peer research, before sharing the experiences of the two peer researchers in undertaking this project. Implications for Practice This includes healthcare professionals understanding food insecurity, what it is and what it is not, thinking about trauma-informed care, and screening for food insecurity. Peer research implications centre on adequate support and training, considerations to longevity of peer research relationships and reducing unnecessary research burden for peer researchers.