Mentally ill people and their views and opinions are at the heart of our research. Through a process called Participatory Data Analysis, we engage mentally ill people in our research process.

The involvement of mentally ill people in our research means that we can better understand the day-to-day struggle of living with a mental illness. We then build this information into our programmes to better address the needs of mentally ill people.

But the research process is not simply extracting information from mentally ill people. Our consultation process is also one of empowerment. By listening to the voices of marginalised mentally ill people, we are showing mentally ill people that they have opinions that count and that they should express them. For some, it’s the first time they’ve been asked what they think.

Mentally ill people carry out research through workshop sessions. In groups, they identify problems that they face and then find solutions to them. This is no easy task as problems are often complex, inter-woven and inter-dependent.

Whilst difficult, the process is still empowering and provides real first hand insights into the situations mentally ill people face. This information and the solutions they suggest to problems are incorporated into our programmes and all go towards making our work better.

The research results are consolidated and synthesised as they move up from the local community level to the global level. This research then informs our policy on an international level, being presented to bodies like the World Health Organisation.

This collaborative process also encourages mentally ill people to talk about their own experiences and ideas. This helps mentally ill people learn from each other and empowers them in the process.

Paul, a mentally ill man in Kamwokya, a suburb of Kampala, Uganda, said of the data analysis workshops, “… I always thought I was the only one with this problem; but when we started having these workshops, I realised I was not alone. As I listen to others speak, I learn how to manage my own condition.”

Often, it’s not only the mentally ill people who learn things, but the BasicNeeds staff and volunteers, carers and anyone else in the meeting too.

In one of the data analysis sessions, one community volunteer had this to say, “… the things we learn here do not affect mentally ill people alone - they use their testimonies to help us also to improve our own lives - today I have learnt from them how to manage my finances.”

When mentally ill people are considered not to hold any value or opinion of their own, to learn something from them can be a turning point in how mentally ill people are treated. Here, the process of consulting and engaging mentally ill people starts the process of reducing the stigma surrounding mental illnesses.