World Mental Health Day takes place annually on 10 October. This year’s theme, “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change”, reminds us that meaningful change starts by listening.
Whether in our everyday lives or in research, listening helps people feel heard, valued and understood. Across Oxford Health, lived experience plays a vital role in designing and delivering research that is relevant, accessible and focused on what matters most to the people it aims to benefit.
Patients, carers and public contributors work alongside researchers through Patient and Public Involvement & Engagement (PPIE), helping to shape research priorities, study design, participant experiences and how findings are shared.
At our CRF, members of the ENGAGE group help improve the research experience by reviewing study materials, discussing research proposals and testing participant journeys. Feedback gathered during community engagement activities, including Oxford Pride 2026, has highlighted the importance of making research opportunities more accessible and inclusive.
Angela Conlan, PPIE Manager at the CRF: Oxford Health, said:
“At the Clinical Research Facility, listening to participants and public contributors helps us improve every stage of the research journey. Their insights influence everything from study information and research visits to the environment we create for participants.”
Earlier this year, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC): Oxford Health brought together community members, researchers and faith leaders to explore how culture, faith and lived experience influence mental health research. Discussions highlighted ways to make research more inclusive, culturally sensitive and relevant to Black African and Caribbean communities.
Cora Reilly McGeown, PPIE Manager at the BRC, said:
“When people share their experiences of mental health, they are sharing knowledge that researchers cannot find in a textbook or a dataset. Being asked to contribute is important, but what matters most is knowing that your perspective has been listened to and has helped shape decisions. That is where real change happens.”
Thomas Kabir, Academic Lead for PPIE at the BRC, said:
“Just as cooking a meal without tasting it is a recipe for failure, so too is conducting research without lived experience. Truly impactful research is the result of fully involving those who have lived it. This is what we are trying to achieve”
Across the NIHR Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration (MH-TRC) Mission, young people, carers and service users help shape research from the outset. In one project, adopted young adults helped design a trauma-informed study exploring the long-term effects of childhood trauma, influencing how the research was conducted and communicated.
Dr Lesley Booth MBE, MH-TRC Mission PPIEP Lead, said:
“Meaningful involvement starts with listening. Real change happens when people with lived experience are not only invited to contribute but are genuinely heard and valued as equal partners in research. Their voices help shape priorities, challenge assumptions and ensure research focuses on what matters most to the people it is designed to support.”
This World Mental Health Day, we thank everyone who shares their experiences to help shape research. Their insights influence the questions researchers ask, the studies they design and the experiences of those who take part, helping ensure research delivers meaningful benefits for patients and communities.
Find out how you can get involved with research across Oxford Health:
| Research Infrastructure | Online link |
|---|---|
| NIHR CRF: Oxford Health | How to get involved |
| NIHR BRC: Oxford Health | Patient and Public Involvement, Engagement and Participation (PPIEP) – NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Oxford Health |
| OHFT Research | Patient and Public Involvement – Research & Development |
| NIHR MH-TRC Mission | Patient and Public Involvement, Engagement and Participation (PPIEP) – NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Oxford Health |
