Picturing a mental health journey: experience of a participatory photovoice approach to presenting recovery narratives of people with lived experiences and caregivers in Ethiopia.

Abstract

Background: PhotoVoice is a participatory approach that uses photography to offer a useful platform for sharing the stories of people with mental health conditions whose voices are often marginalized. This study aimed to explore the experiences of people with lived experiences and caregivers in constructing brief recovery narratives presented at training sessions that highlight their experiences before, during, and after mental health treatment.

Method: A participatory photovoice study was carried out with 16 participants from the Sodo district, Ethiopia. The participants were people with lived experiences (n = 8) and caregivers (n = 8) selected via purposive sampling. Field notes, photographs and testimonies arising from the PhotoVoice sessions were analysed together with in-depth interviews with participants. The data were analysed via narratives used during photovoice sessions and thematic analysis.

Results: The PhotoVoice training experience was mostly positively received and brought to light a variety of perceived benefits through providing an inclusive understanding of mental health and related misconceptions and by addressing stigma and discrimination-related myths in the community. Furthermore, the participants reported the benefit of being engaged in productive activities that improved their communication and relationships with other people. The photographs revealed the stigmatized experiences of participants seeking alternative treatment solutions and challenges in accessing and gaining awareness of mental health. Stress and fear of public speaking and negative feedback from their family and community were the main barriers to participation in the photoVoice sessions.

Conclusions: This study shows that PhotoVoice training has important value in eliciting insights from participants' lived experiences. The findings indicate that this approach is important for the empowerment of people with lived experiences and their family members and for coping with the stigma and discrimination they encounter. Stakeholders working in mental health can use and adapt this participatory technique to empower service users and family members and reduce the impacts of stigma associated with mental illnesses.