From being a problem to being part of the solution: the experience of peer facilitators of Hearing Voices groups

User-led services set out to challenge the idea that people with mental health difficulties are non-contributors and to make use of individuals' previously undervalued skills and experience. The first section of this thesis is a review of recent literature on evaluations of user-led services. The review takes an inclusive approach, considering studies that utilise a range of different methodologies, so as to fully capture the wide range of potential benefits of involvement. A prominent example of a user-led service is the Hearing Voices Network, an association of mutual support groups for people who hear voices. An important aspect of the Hearing Voices approach is that the groups are run by people with personal experience of hearing voices. The second section of this thesis is an empirical paper reporting a participatory study into the experiences of peer facilitators of Hearing Voices groups. Working in partnership with the Hearing Voices Network, interviews were conducted with voice hearer facilitators using the methodology of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The third section is a critical appraisal that reviews the study against value-based guidelines for using participatory research methods with mutual support organisations