Over the next two years, a new research project at ý is going to develop concrete resources to increase user influence in mental health services.
"It’s exciting to be part of making the knowledge we’ve gained through research concrete and useful for organisations and services across the country," says Katarina Grim, doctor in health sciences and docent/senior lecturer in social work at ý, who is leading the project.
User audits allow users to have influence over mental health services. It means that people with personal experiences of mental health issues or harmful use and addiction review and assess services related to these issues, so the they can be improved from a user perspective. As part of the project “Accessible user influence in the field of mental health”, concrete methodological support material will now be created, clarifying forms of collaboration and working methods for user audits.
"It will be a digital resource that organisations can use to support the planning and implementation of user audits, enhancing their impact on the organisation moving forward and ensuring the results are utilised effectively," says Katarina Grim, who will be leading the project.
The project is a collaboration between ý and three organisations that conduct user audits. The digital material will be designed in collaboration with representatives from the user movement through Verdandi, NSHP and Brukarrevisionsbyrån i Uppsala län.
"It’s exciting to create something that truly makes a difference and simplifies and improves important work methods. And it’s also fun to do this together with organisations that possess so much knowledge and experience. Together, we can make research accessible and create value," says Katarina.
The project has been granted funding from Forte (the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare) and will run for two years.
