# Voices for change: inclusion of lived experience self-injury research, practice, education, and advocacy

## TL;DR

This paper argues for including people with self-injury experience in research and advocacy to reduce stigma and improve understanding.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a stigma resistance framework to promote inclusion of lived experience in self-injury research and practice.

## Key findings

- People with lived experience can contribute meaningfully as researchers, educators, clinicians, and advocates.
- Stigma and reluctance to disclose hinder inclusion, requiring systemic changes to address.
- Educating grant reviewers and training programs can help harness the unique expertise of those with lived experience.

## Abstract

Despite gains in research knowledge, self-injury remains unduly and widely stigmatised. This can preclude people with lived experience from playing active and important roles in the field. In this paper, we discuss how people with lived experience can offer vital contributions in this regard.

Position paper based on narrative review.

According to the current and especially recent literature in the field, people with lived experience of self-injury can play significant roles as researchers, educators, clinicians, and advocates.

Given the unique perspectives and strength people with lived experience of self-injury have to offer, their contributions to the field need to be harnessed and championed. This requires concerted efforts to address stigma and otherwise unhelpful discourses. In doing so, a more inclusive field with greater representation of people with lived experience can be realised. This, in turn, is conducive to advancing our understanding of self-injury and promoting the wellbeing of all people with such lived experience.

What is already known about this topic:
Self-injury remains unduly and widely stigmatised.People with lived experience are often reluctant to disclose this experience.People with lived experience of self-injury can play significant roles as researchers, educators, clinicians, and advocates.

Self-injury remains unduly and widely stigmatised.

People with lived experience are often reluctant to disclose this experience.

People with lived experience of self-injury can play significant roles as researchers, educators, clinicians, and advocates.

What this topic adds:
Grounded in a stigma resistance framework, we outline the opportunities and challenges experienced by individuals with lived experience working as researchers, educators, clinicians, and advocates.We champion a more inclusive approach to embracing, rather than diminishing, the expertise they bring to their work.We need to do better in educating grant reviewers, granting bodies, education providers, and clinical training programmes in the unique contribution people with lived experience can make to the field.

Grounded in a stigma resistance framework, we outline the opportunities and challenges experienced by individuals with lived experience working as researchers, educators, clinicians, and advocates.

We champion a more inclusive approach to embracing, rather than diminishing, the expertise they bring to their work.

We need to do better in educating grant reviewers, granting bodies, education providers, and clinical training programmes in the unique contribution people with lived experience can make to the field.