Becoming a mental health worker with lived experience of mental illness : an oral history analysis
Creators: name: Multani, Noor
Publisher: name: The University of British Columbia
Year: 2025

description: Background: Peer support is a globally recognized, recovery-oriented approach that connects individuals facing mental health challenges through shared lived experiences. Despite benefits, individuals with lived experience of mental illness who transition into peer support and mental health worker roles often encounter stigma, systemic barriers, and fragmented care. While the World Health Organization (WHO) and mental health advocacy organizations promote the inclusion of peer support workers, formal training, professional recognition, and systemic integration remain challenges. Understanding the lived experiences of individuals in these roles can inform recovery-oriented approaches and contribute to reducing stigma in mental health services. Purpose: This study explores the experiences of individuals who transitioned from mental health service users to peer support workers or mental health professionals. It examines the impact of stigma, systemic challenges, and the role of lived experience in promoting empowerment, professional growth, and service improvement. Additionally, it highlights the perspectives of family members who supported their loved ones’ recovery journeys, shedding light on the role of advocacy and systemic barriers in mental health care. Methods: This study employs a historical research approach using oral history analysis. It draws on interviews conducted as part of a previous project, Community Connections: The Development of Mental Health Services in New Westminister, BC (Boschma &amp; Gorrie, 2009-2013). The analysis includes personal narratives from three individuals who became peer support workers and two family members who engaged in advocacy and caregiving. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes related to stigma, recovery, systemic barriers, and the integration of people’s lived experience in mental health care. Findings: Findings reveal that individuals with lived experience of mental illness encountered significant stigma and fragmented care but played a crucial role in reshaping professional identities and challenging societal narratives of mental health service. Peer support workers modeled recovery, resilience, and trust-building, improving patient outcomes. Family members emphasized the need for greater inclusion in care planning, pointing to systemic barriers such as restrictive confidentiality policies and a lack of holistic, trauma-informed care. Key themes included the persistence of stigma, the limitations of the medical model, the benefits of peer support in promoting recovery, and the need for policies that integrate lived experience perspectives in mental health services. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of recognizing lived experience as an essential component of mental health care. By integrating peer support workers and family members into service planning, healthcare systems can move toward a more inclusive, stigma-free, and recovery-oriented framework. The research highlights the need for policy changes that enhance peer support training, expand family involvement, and adopt holistic mental health care models. Ultimately, prioritizing lived experience perspectives can contribute to systemic transformation, bridging historical gaps in care and promoting more equitable and person-centered mental health services.