Flexibility, relationships, and growth: an intrapersonal analysis of lessons learned in a participatory doctoral dissertation

Presently, much of the research on mental health is done by professionals and involves users of mental health services solely as research subjects. This limits the focus of mental health research to those topics that are defined by professionals instead of service users. In this article, I discuss the processes of a participatory doctoral dissertation in which we investigated structural barriers at university for students with mental health challenges. An overview of best participatory practices is provided, followed by a description of the current participatory project. Then, I reflect on three key learning points from the project as a doctoral researcher: 1) slippage in participatory practices due to project length and time constraints, 2) navigating the researcher role in complex interpersonal dynamics, and 3) lack of confidence, self-knowledge, and being human. In light of these key learning points, I close with a reflection on how key aspects of the literature can support the successful implementation of participatory practices: 1) acknowledging messy realities and the need for flexibility in conducting participatory research, 2) navigating care, power, and autonomy in complex interpersonal environments, and 3) reflexivity and transparency in the context of whole person participation.