The document describes two research projects presented at a workshop on collaborative research. The first project aims to understand the experiences of carers of people with personality disorders and inform the development of a national carers' strategy. The second project explores understandings of recovery from the perspective of people with personality disorders living in the community. Both projects involve collaboration between service users, carers, academics and clinicians. Participants at the workshop worked in groups to develop sample research project titles and questions.

11. Knowing what it means to care: towards the development of a National Carers’ Strategy for Personality Disorder Project team: Steve Gillard: Academic Researcher & Lead Investigator, St George’s, University of London (SGUL) Alexia Demetriou: Service User Researcher, SGUL Ian Griggs: Freelance Carer Researcher Kati Turner: Service User Researcher, SGUL & Chair of Emergence Kath Lovell: National Project Development Manager, Emergence Stephen Miller: Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy & Clinical Lead for PD at South West London & St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust (SWL&StG)

12. Developing an understanding of Recovery for people with Personality Disorder living in the community Project team: Steve Gillard: Academic Researcher & Lead Investigator, St George’s, University of London (SGUL) Kati Turner: Service User Researcher, SGUL & Chair of Emergence Marion Neffgen: Psychiatry Specialty Trainee , South West London & St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust (SWL&StG) Kath Lovell: National Project Development Manager, Emergence Stephen Miller: Clinical Lead for PD at South West London & St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust (SWL&StG)

13. Aims and Objectives Phase 1: Contribute to filling knowledge gap through in-depth qualitative exploration of: what it means to care: what are carers’ experiences of support and what are carers’ priorities for support Phase 2: To inform and help develop a National Carers’ Strategy for Personality Disorder Throughout: Service users, carers, academics and clinicians working together as researchers

17. Findings

22. Service user involvement Service user researchers at St George’s involved in developing proposal and drawing up of original interview schedule across all four domains Service user and carer researchers involved in all aspects of research (design of interview schedule, focus groups and interviews, analysis, writing up and dissemination) Service user researcher and doctor undertook all interviews jointly: particular attention paid to the impact of this collaborative working on the research process and findings Reflective diaries kept by all members of research team throughout project in order to explore the impact of service user involvement and collaborative research