10/10/2026
Who has the greatest expertise on a mental health condition: a practitioner or someone living with it?
Lived experience is increasingly recognised as an essential source of knowledge for shaping effective mental health policies and care frameworks.
As mental health care moves from institutionalisation towards person-centred, community-based models, the perspectives of people who use these services must remain central to that transition.
This World Mental Health Day, we reflect on the importance of building mental health systems with, not simply for, the people they serve. At Sage, we support mental health research that brings together diverse perspectives and disciplines to deepen understanding, challenge established approaches and inform more effective and equitable mental health care.