About
In 2003, Professor Kathy Griffiths established the Depression & Anxiety Consumer Research Unit at CMHR in order to promote greater consumer involvement in research content and practice by serving as a bridge between consumers and researchers. In 2013, ACT Health funded the establishment of ACACIA: The ACT Consumer and Carer Mental Health Research Unit to undertake research addressing the priorities and needs of ACT mental health consumers and carers and to build research capacity in the ACT mental health consumer and carer community. In 2016, the Consumer Research Unit was renamed the Lived Experience Research unit, acknowledging the active involvement of mental health consumers and carers in the research process. The Lived Experience Research Unit and ACACIA are staffed by academic researchers and students who bring their own lived experience to their work.
In 2021, the Lived Experience Research Unit partnered with The ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation, coordinated by the University of Melbourne and funded by the NHMRC Special Initiative in Mental Health. Professor Michelle Banfield is also the Co-Director and Lived Experience Research Lead of the ALIVE National Centre. The focus of ALIVE is to embed lived experience perspective into mental health research and translation.
Researchers from the Lived Experience Research Unit are also collaborating on the following projects:
Members
Leader
Researchers
Research support officers
Students
Projects
| Project | Status |
|---|---|
| ACACIA: The ACT Consumer and Carer Mental Health Research Unit | Current |
| Co-Creating Safe Spaces | Current |
Resources
| Resource | Type |
|---|---|
| Lived Experience Research Unit Resources | Publication |
Publications
(2023) Fitzpatrick SJ, Gallagher K, Banfield M, Gulliver A, Calear AL, Conroy S, & Batterham PJ. At arm's length: A qualitative study of suicide prevention barriers among those experienced with suicide loss. SSM - Qualitative Research in Health.
(2023) Krysinska K, Ross A, Ozols I, Andriessen K, Banfield M, Edwards B, Hawgood J, Kolves K, McGrath M, Ross V & Pirkis J. Active involvement of people with lived experience of suicide in suicide research: a Delphi consensus study. BMC Psychiatry.
(2023) Fitzpatrick SJ, Lamb H, Stewart E, Gulliver A, Morse AR, Giugni M, Banfield M. Co‐ideation and co‐design in co‐creation research: Reflections from the ‘Co‐Creating Safe Spaces project’. Health Expectations.
(2023) Gulliver A, Morse AR & Banfield M. Cancer Survivors’ experiences of navigating the Australian Health Care system for physical and mental health care needs. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
(2023) Farrer L, Batterham P, Gulliver A, Morse AR, Calear A, McCallum S, Banfield M, Shou Y, Newman E & Dawel A. The factors associated with telehealth use and avoidance during the COVID-19 pandemic: Longitudinal survey. Journal of Medical Internet Research.
(2022) Banfield M, Fitzpatrick SJ, Lamb H, Giugni M, Calear AL, Stewart E, Pavloudis M, Ellen L, Sargent G, Skeat H, Edwards B, Miller B, Stride Safe Space Team, Gulliver A, Ellis LA, Bliokas V, Goj P, Lee M, Stewart K, Webb G, Main M, Lumby C, Wells K, McKay C, Batterham PJ, Morse AR, Shand F. Co-creating safe spaces: Study protocol for translational research on innovative alternatives to the emergency department for people experiencing emotional distress and/or suicidal crisis. PLOS ONE.
(2022) Gulliver A, Morse AR & Banfield M. Keeping the agenda current: Evolution of Australian Lived Experience mental health research priorities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
(2022) Coles A, Maksyutynska K, Knezevic D, Agarwal M, Strudwick G, Dunbar J, Druss B, Selby P, Hahn M, Castle D, Banfield M. Peer‐facilitated interventions for improving the physical health of people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: systematic review and meta‐analysis. MJA.
(2022) Shou Y, Smithson M, Gulliver A, Murray K, Banfield M, Rodney Harris RM, McCallum S, Farrer LM, Calear A & Batterham P. Risk tolerance and changes in coronavirus disease (COVID) related health behaviors: A longitudinal study. Health Psychology.
(2022) Parker E & Banfield M. Consumer perspectives on anxiety management in Australian general practice. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
(2022) Banfield M, Shou Y, Morse AR, Gulliver A, Calear AL, McCallum SM, Farrer L, Dawel A & Batterham PJ. Awareness and perceived helpfulness of mental health peer workers in a representative sample of the Australian public. Psychiatry Research Communications.
(2022) Hancock N, Berry B, Banfield M, Pike-Rowney G, Scanlan JN & Norris S. Peer worker supported transition from hospital to home - outcomes for service users. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
(2022) Calear AL, McCallum S, Morse AR, Banfield M, Gulliver A, Cherbuin N, Farrer LM, Murray K, Rodney Harris RM & Batterham PJ. Psychosocial impacts of home-schooling on parents and caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Public Health.
(2022) Banfield M, Gulliver A & Morse AR. Virtual World Café method for identifying mental health research priorities: Methodological case study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
(2022) Morse AR, Banfield M, Batterham PJ, Gulliver A, McCallum S, Cherbuin N, Farrer LM & Calear AL. What could we do differently next time? Australian parents’ experiences of the short-term and long-term impacts of home schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Public Health.
(2022) Batterham PJ, Shou Y, Farrer LM, Murray K, Morse AR, Gulliver A, Slade T, Newton NC & Calear AL. Patterns and predictors of alcohol use during the early stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic in Australia: Longitudinal cohort study. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
(2022) Batterham PJ, Calear AL, Shou Y, Farrer LM, Gulliver A, McCallum SM & Dawel A. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicidal ideation in a representative Australian population sample–Longitudinal cohort study. Journal of Affective Disorders.
(2021) McCallum S, Calear AL, Cherbuin N, Farrer LM, Gulliver A, Shou Y, Dawel A & Batterham PJ. Associations of loneliness, belongingness and health behaviors with psychological distress and wellbeing during COVID-19. Journal of Affective Disorders.
(2021) Dawel A, Shou Y, Gulliver A, Cherbuin N, Banfield M, Murray K, Calear AL, Morse AR, Farrer LM & Smithson M. Cause or symptom? A longitudinal test of bidirectional relationships between emotion regulation strategies and mental health symptoms. Emotion.
(2021) Parker E, Banfield M, Fassnacht D, Hatfield T & Kyrios M. Contemporary treatment of anxiety in primary care: a systematic review and meta-analysis of outcomes in countries with universal healthcare. BMC Family Practice.
(2021) Gulliver A, Pike G, Banfield M, Morse AR, Katruss N, Valerius H, Pescud M, McMaster M & West S. The Music Engagement Program for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia: Pilot feasibility trial outcomes. Evaluation and Program Planning.
(2021) Batterham PJ, Calear AL, McCallum SM, Morse AR, Banfield M, Farrer LM, Gulliver A, Cherbuin N, Rodney Harris RM, Shou Y & Dawel A. Trajectories of depression and anxiety symptoms during the COVID‐19 pandemic in a representative Australian adult cohort. MJA .
(2020) Hamilton D, Hancock N, Scanlan J & Banfield M. The National Disability Insurance Scheme and people with severe and persistent mental illness/psychosocial disability: A review, analysis and synthesis of published literature. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.
(2020) Gulliver A, Banfield M, Batterham PJ, Calear AL, Farrer LM, Dawel A, McCallum S, Murray K & Morse AR. Effects of previous exposure to psychotherapeutic strategies on depression and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. BJPsych Open.
(2020) Batterham PJ, Poyser P, Gulliver A, Banfield M & Calear AL. Development and psychometric properties of the Functioning and Recovery Scale: a new measure to assess psychosocial functioning after a suicide attempt. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior.
(2020) Dawel A, Shou Y, Smithson M, Cherbuin N, Banfield M, Calear AL, Farrer LM, Gray D, Gulliver A, Housen T, McCallum SM, Morse AR, Newman E, Murray K, Rodney Harris RM & Batterham PJ. The effect of COVID-19 on mental health and wellbeing in a representative sample of Australian adults. Frontiers in Psychiatry.
(2020) Banfield M, Morse AR & Gulliver A. Contextual influences on the impact of a peer worker-led self-stigma program for people with mental health issues: Protocol for an interventional implementation science study. Implementation Science Communications.
(2019) Morse AR, Forbes O, Jones B, Gulliver A & Banfield M. Whose story is it? Mental health consumer and carer views on carer participation in research. Health Expectations.
(2019) Banfield M, Farrer L & Harrison C. Management or missed opportunity? Mental health care planning in Australian general practice. Australian Journal of Primary Health.
(2019) Gulliver, A., Pike, G., Banfield, M., Morse, A.R., Katruss, N., Pescud, M., McMaster, M., Valerius, H. & West, S. Evaluation of the Music Engagement Program for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia: Study protocol for a pilot trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications.
(2019) Gulliver A., Banfield M., Morse A.R., Reynolds J., Miller S., Galati C. A Peer-Led Electronic Mental Health Recovery App in a Community-Based Public Mental Health Service: Pilot Trial. JMIR Formative Research.
(2019) Morse, A. R., Forbes, O., Jones, B. A., Gulliver, A., & Banfield, M. Australian Mental Health Consumer and Carer Perspectives on Ethics in Adult Mental Health Research. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics.
(2018) Banfield, M., Morse, A., Gulliver, A.,Griffiths, K. Mental health research priorities in Australia: a consumer and carer agenda. Health Research Policy and Systems.
(2018) Banfield, M., Randall, R., O’Brien, M., Hope, S., Gulliver, A., Forbes, O., Morse, A.R., Griffiths, K. Lived experience researchers partnering with consumers and carers to improve mental health research: Reflections from an Australian initiative. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing.
(2018) Gulliver, A., Morse, A.R., Wilson, N., Sargent, G., Banfield, M. An evaluation of a tailored care program for complex and persistent mental health problems: Partners in Recovery program. Evaluation and Program Planning.
(2018) Banfield, M., Forbes, O. Health and social care coordination for severe and persistent mental illness in Australia: a mixed methods evaluation of experiences with the Partners in Recovery Program. International Journal of Mental Health Systems.
(2017) Gulliver, A., Banfield, M., Reynolds, J., Miller, S., Galati, C., Morse, A.R. A Peer-Led Electronic Mental Health Recovery App in an Adult Mental Health Service: Study Protocol for a Pilot Trial. JMIR Research Protocols.
