PCIE Resources

Patient and public involvement in self-harm and suicide prevention research

The toolkits below were created by people with lived experience and researchers from NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration (Preventing suicide and self-harm research theme) and the Centre for Mental Health and Safety at the University of Manchester. 

Our toolkits are freely available for planning patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) activities. We would love to hear how you have used the toolkits and your plans for applying them. 

Patient and public involvement in self-harm and suicide prevention research: shared learning toolkit (organiser version)

Suicide and self-harm are key public health and clinical concerns internationally. For over 20 years, the team at the Centre for Mental Health and Safety has conducted research to reduce suicide and improve patient safety for people who attend healthcare services for self-harm or mental health conditions. Experts-by-experience are involved throughout all stages of our research. We developed this toolkit to share experiences, tips, and strategies for patient and public involvement that developed from our self-harm and suicide prevention research.

In this toolkit, we provide a brief overview of patient and public involvement, and describe co-designed processes that facilitated good practice in our work. We summarise issues to consider when planning and conducting meaningful involvement activities including: diversity and inclusion, accessibility and flexibility, training and development, payment, wellbeing (researcher and public contributor) and online safety. Practical issues like recruitment, developing involvement plans and activities, and a range of tips/strategies to facilitate meaningful involvement and engagement are also overviewed. Throughout our work, we developed a range of co-designed documents (e.g., wellbeing plans, researcher PPIE development plans, and ground rules). These resources, in addition, to wide range of open-access links and templates are also included in the toolkit.

Patient and public involvement in self-harm and suicide prevention research: public contributor guide

This guide is designed to provide information about being a public contributor in self-harm and suicide prevention research. The guide can be read alongside existing resources, including ‘Being a Public Contributor’ from the Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health and the more detailed ‘Patient and public involvement in self-harm and suicide prevention research shared learning toolkit’.

This toolkit may be adapted for public contributors interested in self-harm and suicide prevention research in other areas. All the information and links are open access and freely available, but are based on our work in the University of Manchester. Please contact the patient involvement leads in your local area for what is happening there.

Help in a crisis

This toolkit does not provide treatment or advice about care for people in crisis. If you are in crisis or feel suicidal or feel like hurting yourself, please seek help from your general practitioner, local hospital emergency department, helpline service, or by discussing your problems with a trusted friend, family member, or colleague. Some UK support services are available on page 28.

For further information, please contact: Dr Leah Quinlivan, Email: leah.quinlivan@manchester.ac.uk. 

If you would like to find out more about PPIE in mental health research, please visit the Mutual Support for Mental Health-Research (MS4MH-R) website.