How is Participating in Suicide Prevention Activities Experienced by Those with Lived and Living Experiences of Suicide in Australia? A Qualitative Study



Wayland, Sarah, McKay, Kathy ORCID: 0000-0002-5536-2522 and Maple, Myfanwy
(2020) How is Participating in Suicide Prevention Activities Experienced by Those with Lived and Living Experiences of Suicide in Australia? A Qualitative Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17 (13). E4635-.

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Abstract

People with a lived experience of suicide are commonly included within suicide prevention research. This includes participation in conferences, policy development, research and other activities. Yet little is known about the impact on the person in the long term of regularly sharing one’s experience to different audiences and, in some cases, to a schedule not of your choosing. This qualitative study asked twenty people to share their reflections of being lived experience representatives within suicide prevention. Participants varied in the length of time they had been sharing their stories, and how they shared with different audiences. These narratives were thematically analysed within a reflective framework, including field notes. Four broad themes were noted that highlighted participants’ recommendations as to how the lived experience speaker training could grow alongside suicide prevention activities to facilitate safe activities that include a shared understanding of the expected outcome from participation. The environment for people with lived experience of suicide to tell their stories already exists, meaning that the suicide prevention sector needs to move quickly to ensure people understand the variety of spaces where lived experience needs to be incorporated, evaluated and better supported. When lived experience is a valued inclusion in the creation of effective and appropriate suicide prevention research and interventions, those who share their experience must be valued and supported in a way that reflects this. This study recommends strategies to practically and emotionally support speakers, including ways to ensure debriefing and support, which can enhance the longevity of the speakers in the suicide prevention space by valuing the practical and emotional labour required to be suicide prevention representatives, with an outcome recommendation for best practice guidelines for those who engage people with lived experience in suicide prevention activities.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: suicide, suicide prevention, suicide postvention, lived experience, collaboration, participation
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 18 Aug 2020 09:12
Last Modified: 18 Jan 2023 23:37
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17134635
Open Access URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134635
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3097985