title: The stigma of identifying as having a lived experience runs before me: challenges for lived experience roles.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lived experience practitioners can contribute to improved outcomes for people with mental illness, supplementing traditional mental health services and reducing health care costs. However, lived experience practitioners frequently face stigma and discrimination within their work roles.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To understand the impact of stigma and discrimination on the effectiveness of lived experience roles from the perspective of lived experience practitioners.
  
  
  METHODS
  In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 lived experience practitioners within a grounded theory study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Issues of stigma and discrimination were identified as a core category of this study. Participants described stigma and discrimination so prevalent as to be considered a "normal" part of their working life. Professional isolation and attitudinal barriers from colleagues were seen to inhibit the effectiveness of lived experience roles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lived experience practitioners can provide a vital contribution to stigma reduction broadly, however, the stigma and discrimination they face within work roles must be addressed to allow this contribution to be effective.
authors.affiliation: a Lived Experience in Mental Health Lecturer, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Division of Higher Education, Central Queensland University , Rockhampton , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.affiliation: b Consumer Academic, Centre for Psychiatric Nursing, University of Melbourne , Carlton , Australia.
authors.forename: Cath
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roper
authors.affiliation: c Faculty of Health , and ACT Health, Professor of Nursing, Executive Director, SYNERGY, Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre, University of Canberra, Canberra Hospital, WODEN , Australia.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Happell
authors.affiliation: d Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Division of Higher Education, Central Queensland University , Rockhampton , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Kerry
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reid-Searl
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D066296:Grounded Theory; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D008603:Mental Health; D008605:Mental Health Services; D063508:Social Discrimination; D057545:Social Stigma
keywords: Consumers; discrimination; lived experience practitioners; mental health services; peer work; stigma