Co-producing rapid research: Strengths and challenges from a lived experience perspective

Karen Machin; Prisha Shah; Vicky Nicholls; Tamar Jeynes; Tk; Kylee Trevillion; Norha Vera San Juan

doi:10.3389/fsoc.2023.996585

Co-producing rapid research: Strengths and challenges from a lived experience perspective

Front Sociol. 2023 Mar 23:8:996585. doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2023.996585. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Karen Machin¹, Prisha Shah¹, Vicky Nicholls¹, Tamar Jeynes¹, Tk¹, Kylee Trevillion², Norha Vera San Juan^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit Lived Experience Working Group, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
² NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit, Health Service and Population Research Department, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
³ Rapid Research Evaluation and Appraisal Lab (RREAL), Department of Targeted Intervention, University College London, London, United Kingdom.

Abstract

The Lived Experience Researchers (LERs) of the Mental Health Policy Research Unit (MHPRU) reflect on the experience of conducting rapid co-produced research, particularly during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout this perspective article, we introduce requirements for co-production applying the 4Pi Framework, reflect on specific characteristics of co-production in rapid research, discuss strengths and challenges for involvement of LERs in rapid research, and lastly provide recommendations to achieve meaningful involvement. Incorporating meaningful co-production is an augmentation to any research project, with several benefits to the research, to the team, and to individual researchers. Particularly in the case of rapid research, that aims for efficient translation of knowledge into practice, involvement of experts by experience will be key. The work conducted by the MHPRU LERs presented in this paper demonstrates the viability, value, and potential of this way of working.

Keywords: Lived Experience Researchers; co-production; experts by experience; meaningful involvement; rapid research.

Grants and funding

This article presents independent research commissioned and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme, conducted by the NIHR Policy Research Unit (PRU) in Mental Health (grant no. PR-PRU-0916-22003). The funders had no role in study design, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.