Recovery experience forum of carers and users of services (REFOCUS): an autoethnographic investigation into its...

The concept partnership has developed since Sherry Arnstein first created the ladder of citizen participation. Within mental health discourse, this was first acknowledged by "A Vision for Change" (2006) and later, through adopting co-production (2017). In 2011, the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland, created a collective called Recovery Experience Forum of Carers and Users of Services (REFOCUS) which became a leading example of partnership between stakeholders in the organisation. However, REFOCUS's impact on stakeholders needs to be examined.

A qualitative investigation using an autoethnography methodology is proposed. The approach allows for the interweaving of personal experiences with culture to create new knowledge. A focus group was conducted, and transcripts were subject to reflexive thematic analysis.

Seven out of fourteen participants, representing all three stakeholders, were available at time of interview. From the process of reflexive thematic analysis, five themes were constructed. Each with a number of sub-themes attached, which in turn represented stakeholder perspectives regarding REFOCUS.

This paper highlights several issues that need addressing in future research on REFOCUS. The paper demonstrates the continuous presence of stigma within Irish mental health services. However, it also highlights a number of beneficial aspects to REFOCUS including informal peer support, service users, and family member involvement in college activities as well as increasing meaning and purpose in one's life along with a renewed identity different to that of the service user or family member.