Patients and carers as teachers in psychiatric education: a literature review and discussion

Introduction The direct involvement of patients and carers in psychiatric education is driven by policy in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The benefits of this involvement are well known, however, it is important to consider the ethical aspects. This paper suggests how further research could explore and potentially mitigate adverse outcomes. Method A literature search evaluating the role of patients and carer involvement in psychiatric education was undertaken to summarise existing evidence relating to the following: methods of involvement, evidence of usefulness, patient's/carer's views and learners' views. Results The Medline search produced 231 articles of which 31 were included in the literature review based on the key themes addressed in the paper. Discussion/conclusion The available evidence is generally positive regarding the use of patients and carers in psychiatric education. However, available research is varied in approach and outcome with little information on the ethical consequences. More research is required to inform policies on teaching regarding potential adverse effects of service user involvement.