Meaningful use of service user contributions to professional training courses: whose formulation is it anyway?

Abstract

Purpose

There is much literature regarding the involvement of service users in the training of mental health professionals, yet there are few specific examples of such initiatives. This paper aims to report an innovative way of involving service users via DVDs in the teaching psychological formulation on the Trent Clinical Psychology Doctorate programme.

Design/methodology/approach

A focus group was held with the service users involved in teaching psychological formulation and analysed using thematic analysis incorporating saliency analysis.

Findings

Analysis revealed ten themes, which broadly fell into two categories: service users' experience of involvement and consideration of the impact on teaching and improving trainee experience.

Originality/value

It is believed that this approach could not only inform the teaching of psychological formulation but also inspire other innovative opportunities to involve service users in the training of mental health professionals.

Citation

Tickle, A. and Braham, L. (2012), "Meaningful use of service user contributions to professional training courses: whose formulation is it anyway?", The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, Vol. 7 No. 3, pp. 133-142. https://doi.org/10.1108/17556221211269947