Lived experience and clinical co-facilitation of a mental health literacy programme: qualitative exploration of satisfaction and factors supporting effective delivery

Abstract

Purpose Mental health literacy programmes can help reduce stigma towards people who experience mental health challenges. Co-facilitated mental health literacy programmes, delivered by a person with lived experience of mental health challenges in partnership with a person with clinical experience in mental health services, may further reduce stigma. This qualitative study aims to explore participants’ satisfaction with a co-facilitated mental health literacy programme and facilitator characteristics influencing satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach The authors used deidentified post-workshop evaluation data from 762 community mental health literacy programme participants (86% response rate). Thematic analysis of qualitative data used a general inductive approach. Findings Findings indicate high satisfaction with the co-facilitation model used to deliver a mental health literacy programme. Three key themes related to co-facilitation satisfaction: how participants perceived the co-facilitation model overall; the impact of having two facilitators that offered different knowledge and perspectives about mental health challenges; and the impact of personal stories shared. The personal stories shared by facilitators were perceived as bringing the workshop content to life and providing insights into people’s experiences and well-being journey. Key themes influencing co-facilitation satisfaction related to facilitator knowledge, skills, values and attitudes. Practical implications Findings indicate the positive impact of incorporating people’s lived experience into the design and delivery of mental health literacy programmes. Findings highlight key facilitator characteristics and support needs when recruiting facilitators to deliver programmes. This includes good facilitation skills alongside personal experiences. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first large study examining satisfaction with a co-facilitated mental health literacy programme for the general public.