What is the Co-creating Safe Spaces project?

‘Co-Creating Safe Spaces’ is national research project looking at safe spaces for people experiencing emotional distress. The project is run by a team of researchers from both academic and non-research backgrounds, working with health and community service professionals, peer workers, and lived experience advocates.

The project is led by the ANU Centre for Mental Health Research. Our partners include Roses in the Ocean, Black Dog Institute, Macquarie University, the University of Wollongong, and the steering committees implementing the six safe spaces in the research project.¹

What is co-created research?

Co-creation is an approach that emphasises power-sharing, collaboration, and research engagement. It aligns researcher aims and priorities with those of research end-users including people with lived experience.

Co-creation is core to the safe spaces, as well as to their evaluation in this project. Safe spaces have been co-designed, and are implemented by people with lived experience.

Many of the researchers on the project also identify as having a lived experience of mental health issues, emotional distress, and/or suicidal crisis. which we use in our research.