Assessing the Impact of Engaging in Co-Production of Mental Health and / or Substance Use Services, Programs, and Research

A research team from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, Canada, is conducting a study to refine and test a questionnaire that will assess the impact of engaging in the co-production of mental health and/or substance use services, programs, and research. Co-production means working in genuine partnership, where people with lived or living experience contribute as equal partners throughout the process, helping to shape, design, develop, deliver, and evaluate the work from beginning to end.

Participants will first take part in a brief screening and consent meeting with a member of the research team. If eligible, they will be asked to complete the Producing Impact through Co-production Scale (PICS) questionnaire, a demographic form, and a few additional questionnaires about their co-production experience in mental health and/or substance use services, programs, or research.

They are looking for people who: 

• Reside in Canada or in the UK
• Are aged 16 and over
• Have lived experience experience of mental health and / or substance use challenges
• Have experience co-producing mental health or substance use research, services, or programs as a patient partner, advisor, co-researcher, or other similar roles (beyond being a research participant, patient, or client)

Expected commitment from participants:

• One screening & consent call (15 minutes),
• A set of surveys (10 – 40 minutes) 1-2 times over a month

The screening and consent call can be done over WebEx. The surveys are then completed independently by the participant at their own pace using an online link.

Closing date: February 2027

The team is committed to making participation as accessible and flexible as possible. Participants will complete study activities remotely, allowing them to take part from a location where they feel comfortable and avoiding travel-related barriers. Meetings can be scheduled at mutually convenient times, including consideration of different time zones.

Participants will be asked about any access needs or accommodations they may require and the team will make reasonable adjustments wherever possible. This may include providing documents in accessible formats, allowing additional time, offering breaks, explaining information verbally or in plain language, and supporting participation in any way they can can.