Attending a Research Summit - What is it really like?

Sense of pride

As a member of the lived experience advisory panel (LEAP) for the Complex Emotions hub, attending the Mental Health Platform’s inaugural summit offered an incredible insight into how lived experience has shaped, and continues to shape, research in practice. With a venue as impressive as Edinburgh University’s own Playfair Library, towering columns punctuated with carved busts and a vaulted ceiling, there was an immediate sense of pride: a physical affirmation that those with lived experience had truly been given a seat at a table they had long been overlooked from. 

Inclusivity 

That inclusive atmosphere carried into every interaction. From conversations alone, you’d be hard pressed to distinguish LEAP from researcher. With a shared sense of purpose in every discussion, a genuine drive to improving the quality of life for those living with complex emotional needs, and an arguably excessive reliance on the coffee machine, the summit began on exactly the right note.

Although my focus for the summit leant more towards inter-hub connections, engaging in sessions surrounding the introduction of AI in research (DATAMIND, and Brain & Genomics) as well as the importance of lived experience (PPIE), the ethos of the Complex Emotions hub remained clear throughout the day. Amongst the team, from brief comments in-between keynote speeches to weightier discussions over lunch plates, there was never a moment where I was made to feel as anything less than an equal contributor. 

Though I had initially worried that my perspective would be somewhat out-of-place given my limited technical background, it quickly became clear that my experience wasn’t simply tolerated by the team to tick boxes; it was something invited, listened to, and genuinely valued. 

This genuine investment, I believe, was palpable during our opening presentation. Conveyed with both clarity and accessibility in mind, I noticed especially that our research was presented with minimal technical jargon, in comparison to some of the other hub presentations, and was relatively easy to understand from the perspective of a LEAP member. 

As well as that, there was a heavy emphasis placed on the real-life implications of our research: how could our research benefit those affected by complex emotions? It felt as though the presentation not only reflected the content of our research, but also the values that continue to drive it and, in that way, the Complex Emotions hub truly did itself proud.

Reflections for the future 

Still, as the first summit of its kind, and with inclusion often being an ongoing process of learning and adjustment, it’s understandable that there were opportunities for growth. 

Something that, upon reflection, became clear was how useful it would have been to include LEAP members in the earlier preparation process. Whilst the Complex Emotions hub’s inclusion of suicide statistics surrounding individuals with BPD effectively highlighted the relevance of our research, there was a noticeable lack of a trigger warning. It also seemed, in conversations with other LEAP members across the Platform, that many of us found ourselves wondering why did none of the presentations included a LEAP member alongside the researchers? 

In my opinion, these two oversights suggest there’s still opportunities where LEAP perspectives could be invited and integrated fully. Perhaps the inclusion of a LEAP member’s own experience with complex emotions could have expressed the gravity of our research better than a statistic? 

Final thoughts

As a whole, however, this summit marked an important and genuine step towards embedding lived experience within research practice. The foundations and enthusiasm are already there! I know I left the summit having gained not only confidence in the continued partnership between researchers and those with lived experience, but also a confidence in myself. That, in some ways, is part of the importance of LEAP: giving people the opportunity to transform an experience that might have once diminished them into a source of strength, purpose, and understanding. It’s that very same spirit of transformation that makes me most excited to see how next year’s summit in Sheffield develops.