“A sense of community.” A qualitative descriptive study on how to build relationships and rapport with people with lived/living experience and caregivers engaged in mental health and substance use health research

Engaging people with lived/living experience (PLLEX) and caregivers (-C) is becoming more widely adopted in mental health and substance use health research. Their engagement meaningfully improves the relevance and impact of research outcomes. Yet, authentic engagement can be difficult to achieve without building and maintaining strong relationships with PLLEX-C. This qualitative descriptive study explores the perspectives of PLLEX-C engaged in mental health and substance use health research regarding how to build relationships and rapport. We recruited 18 participants, who were divided into four focus groups conducted virtually. A semi-structured focus group guide, co-created with a PLLEX-C Working Group, was used to guide the focus group discussions. The transcribed discussions were then analyzed using codebook thematic analysis, and results were reviewed with the PLLEX-C Working Group. Data analysis generated three themes: 1) Authentic treatment as colleagues, 2) Spending time together in flexible ways, and 3) Team-building activities. Fostering relationships and rapport with PLLEX-C promotes authentic engagement and knowledge sharing. Building these relationships requires mutual respect, time commitment, and opportunities for connection. Such relational foundations are key to producing meaningful research outcomes and creating cohesive, collaborative teams. • Involving PLLEX-C in mental and substance use health research ensures impactful outcomes. • Building relationships and rapport in engagement contexts can be challenging. • Building healthy relationships and rapport with PLLEX-C promotes meaningful engagement. • Key factors that facilitate relationship building include mutual respect, time commitment, and team building activities.