Lived experience is a depiction of a person's experiences and decisions, as well as the knowledge gained from these experiences and choices. It is also used when describing a type of qualitative study that includes studies on culture and society, as well as, linguistics and communication. Human sciences, according to Wilhelm Dilthey's philosophy, are founded on lived experiences, which distinguishes them from natural sciences, which are thought to all be dependent on scientific experiments.
Lived experiences are the main objective of the study in phenomenological research. The goal of such research is to look beyond the lived experiences as just facts and determine their meaningful interpretation. Lived experiences are not about reflecting on an ongoing experience. It is more like a recollected approach, where an experience is shared and reflected upon after it had passed. People with lived experience help as a great guide during mental health-related initiatives. Most importantly, they provide valuable insights into the prevention of suicide.
People who have been through tough times and have managed to come out of them safely share their experiences with those who are undergoing a tough time with respect to their mental health. Their experiences and journey are likely to guide others and prevent them from taking any wrong steps. The lessons they've learnt through their journey are used for planning treatments, educating patients thus contributing to improved care and enhanced safety. All these efforts are likely to reduce deaths due to mental health diseases and suicide attempts.
People with life experiences are a ray of hope for those fighting with their deteriorating mental and physical health and seeking help. They can better guide people through the suicidal crisis than those who have just verbally learned about all this and haven't experienced anything. It must be noted here that lived experience doesn't only mean to have faced the situation yourself. If you've been in a close relationship with someone who has been through such a phase or you know how they've been feeling and have helped them anyway, that too counts for lived experience.
Many organisations in Australia exclusively employ people with lived experience as speakers to guide those who need help. For instance, Roses in the Ocean is a lead organisation representing the lived experience of suicide in Australia. They focus on building a safe and trained Lived Experience Workforce for preventing suicide attempts. SANE Australia is a peer ambassador program to raise awareness around mental illnesses. Next is Suicide Prevention Australia, which has a lived experience panel providing input into suicide prevention services.
