“Are we genuinely going to have our voices heard?”. The experience of co-producing a blended intervention to prevent relapse in Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder : A qualitative study of the PPI perspective.

Introduction: Co-production involves researchers, practitioners and people with lived experience (PPI) working in a collaborative manner, with shared balance of power. The potential benefits of co-production are well documented. However, there is little research describing the experience of having been involved in co-production from the perspective of PPI. The aim of the present study is to explore the experiences of PPI with experience of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) on their involvement in co-producing a blended intervention to prevent relapse for OCD. Methods: Five PPI took part in semi-structured interviews enquiring about their experiences of co-producing a relapse prevention intervention. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.Results: Four themes were identified: (1) Welcome but unexpected benefits; (2) The parameters of a safe space; (3) Meaningful change requires the real deal: The experience of genuine co-production; and (4) Navigating the challenging terrain of co-production. Conclusions: Overall, participants reported their involvement in the co-production process to have had positive impacts on both the development of the intervention and their own personal recovery journey. Participants valued the safety created within the group, and the importance this had for allowing them to speak open and honestly about their experiences and difficulties that can arise with the nature of the work.