... an iterative process of data collection and analysis. Nine individuals including foster carers, adoptive parents and a special guardian were interviewed following purposive and theoretical sampling. Techniques of initial, focused and theoretical coding, alongside constant comparative analysis were used...

... academics, charity-based researchers and a Lived Experience Advisory Panel. Design/methodology/approach – The authors express the opinions of a research team made up of people with experience of using mental health services, being carers and being academically trained researchers from a range...

...Michael Clark; Eleanor Bradley Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of the literature to date which has focused on co-production within mental healthcare in the UK, including service user and carer involvement and collaboration. Design/methodology/approach...

...Stephen Linacre; Suzanne Heywood-Everett; Vishal Sharma; Andrew J. Hill Purpose – Around 50 per cent of carers of people with eating disorders (EDs) experience mental health difficulties. The purpose of this paper is to investigate well-being of carers of people with ED and carers of people...

... implications Many jurisdictions are turning to specialised governance models, such as a Commission, to drive mental health reform. This paper identifies some of the key issues to consider in pursuing this strategy. Social implications Commissions need to have strong engagement with consumers, carers...

...Roger Stanbridge Purpose – National mental health policies in the UK have a common theme of seeking to develop working partnerships between people who use mental health services, their families and carers and professionals. In Somerset, following a staff training programme, a Family Liaison...

...Joanna Fox I describe the development of a group in North London that aimed to increase the involvement of carers in the development and monitoring of mental health services across the borough. I enabled the carers to evaluate their experiences of the group using a participatory action research...

...Joy Wales; Steven Pryjmachuk In the UK, there are around 1.5 million carers of people with mental health problems providing substantial amounts of free care. Despite having a legal right to a ‘carer's assessment’, only a minority of mental health carers have had such an assessment. To try...

... relevant stakeholder groups to establish research priorities for developing ‘patient‐centred’ mental health services in the UK. More than 1,000 stakeholders were consulted, including service users, carers and mental health professionals. The consultation identified 12 thematic areas requiring further...

...Vanessa Pinfold; Joan Rapaport; Sophie Bellringer This article highlights the importance of information‐sharing in mental health care and in particular the difficulties that can follow when practitioners do not perceive lay carers as ‘partners in care’. The findings of a survey, in which views were...