Lived experience research: a guide to the barriers and facilitators from a service user’s perspective

In this article, Dr Ben Gray (a Research Ambassador and Service User Researcher at Healthwatch Essex who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and Asperger’s syndrome) describes the barriers and facilitators to successful lived experience research, service user involvement and co-production. Ben has over 20 years of experience as a service user researcher. This comes at a time when Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) and service user involvement are required in research proposals, research funding bids and broader and more inclusive research projects and methods/methodologies. This article should also help and guide other service users who are involved or considering becoming involved in lived experience/service user research.