Training of Lived Experience Workforces: A Rapid Review of Content and Outcomes

Abstract

Recently, the lived and living experience (LLE) workforce in mental health and alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sectors has expanded. Despite widespread benefit of this inclusion, some LLE practitioners have encountered personal and professional challenges in their workforce roles. An essential avenue to address these challenges is through provision of training to ensure adequate LLE role preparation, and to support integration of LLE workforces within mental health and AOD settings. We aim to understand the primary components applied in LLE training programs (i.e., content and methods), the outcomes from program participation, and to summarize observed patterns between training components and outcomes. This rapid review utilized a systematic methodology following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to synthesize existing literature on training programs for service users or carers/family in lived experience roles, in the mental health and AOD workforce. We searched CINAHL, PsycINFO, Medline, and Web of Science databases. We identified 36 relevant studies. Findings indicate short- and long-term impacts of training participation for this emerging workforce, with the most promising outcomes being increased professional knowledge and skills and improved personal psychosocial wellbeing and trauma recovery. Other positive training outcomes included high trainee satisfaction, increased application of training skills, and employment/education opportunities following training completion. Gaps and training limitations were noted in relation to the training content/delivery, trainee reservations, and personal barriers to training participation or completion. In response to program benefits and limitations investigated, we present recommendations for improving training processes for this workforce.

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“…This review classified its included studies as high quality. 43 The highest scoring item on the tool was item 11 (the method of analysis was appropriate to answer the research aim/s). The lowest scoring item on the tool was item 10 (justification for analytical method selected) with no studies sufficiently reporting this item.…”

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“…While lived experience opportunities continue to grow within health services, most roles do not involve training in self-disclosure [53]. The LoLEM model could bridge the gap between people with mental health experiences seeking opportunities to help others, and more formal paid positions requiring considerable time commitments.…”