Epistemic (In)justice and Barriers to Knowledge Integration: Developing a Discussion Material and a Checklist for Legitimizing and Including User Knowledge in Mental Health Services

This project is connected to previous research projects examining systematized methods of user involvement in mental health practice, all with a focus on how such methods contribute to the integration om experiential knowledge.In one study, workshops were conducted with representatives from the user movement and with mental health practitioners to explore obstacles and promoting factors for the integration of user knowledge within the care and support system.

The study was based on a co-production design and results have been compiled in a scientific article that shows how three forms of knowledge injustice can be linked to a lack of integration of user knowledge within the mental health system: participant-based injustice, testimonial injustice and hermeneutical injustice.

Results have been reported back to workshop participants who requested a material based on these results, that can be directly implemented in their practice.

Through this application for utilization of research results, our ambition is to increase the availability and usability of these results for practice.Researchers and representatives from NSPH (The Swedish Partnership for Mental Health) are planned to work together during one year to develop a material based on the results of the prior study.

This material will consist of both a brief description of knowledge injustice as a concept and key results regarding how knowledge injustice relates to central challenges in the implementation of user influence work in the Swedish context.Furthermore, we will develop a working material based on the results of the study, consisting of both a discussion material and a checklist.

This material can be used in the start-up or evaluation of projects and working methods based on user influence, to increase opportunities to create more equal co-production processes, where conditions are strengthened for integrating user knowledge into quality and development work.The material will be tested in workshop format and then introduced to mental health practitioners and representatives from the user movement through a series of workshops with local actors involved in user influence work.

Furthermore, the material will be disseminated through open seminars and will be available for free download online.The goal is to make research results available but also to contribute to the development of user influence work by developing strategies for dealing with key challenges identified in research in the field.