Table 3 Self-perceived positive impact of resources

Motivated helpful activities

Participants often talked about the resources prompting or motivating them to do things that were beneficial for them. This was through reminding them of helpful strategies, suggesting new strategies, or showing what had helped other people.

I’ve been a bit unwell, so I’m scaling back my hours and it’s the reason for that is basically I don’t have the time to do the self- care things I need to do. I really connected with that book because as I was reading it and I thought “These are the things I need to do”. [Meaningful activities – P04]

I knew these sorts of things anyway, but it was just a matter of when I was going to activate them in my head, to sort of act on them... [the resources] did, they prompt you. [General comment – P14]

Positive experience in the moment

A number of participants talked about how interacting with the resources was an enjoyable or interesting experience at the time.

The little booklet’s very relaxing. [Meaningful activities – P24]

The first podcast was interesting to listen to. [Concepts of recovery – P10]

Gaining knowledge

Participants talked about gaining new knowledge from the resources, such as information about mental health issues and strategies to try.

Just opening my eyes to a lot of things I didn’t know about [General comment – P13]

I got a lot of ideas and suggestions that really made sense to me, such as how to stay well, when to recognize you’re not feeling well. [General comment – P13]

Reflecting on my journey

Commonly, people talked about how engaging with the resources made them reflect on their own experiences, strengths and journey.

It does make you think about what you’ve gone through. [General comment – P23]

I understand myself a little bit better with what’s going on. [General comment – P24]

Thinking constructively about mental health issues

Participants discussed how the resources reinforced or promoted positive or useful perspectives and ways of thinking about and conceptualising mental health issues.

There was a few things that stood out and actually made me think that mental illness is not something that you should be really afraid of. [General comment – P13]

It makes my belief in recovery much stronger. [General comment – P18]

Feeling less alone

Ten people noted that interacting with the resources made them feel that there were people who shared their experience and who understood them, which made some feel less alone and more supported.

I would say that I did feel a sense of support. I haven’t felt that really, like I’ve felt it with friends, but to feel more understood, more just that people understood, and people that do care, that people’s mental health experiences and are living well. [General comment – P15]

I just kind of feel like they cared for me. So it was quite good getting the resources and then realizing that you’re not alone as well. There’s other people going through things as well. [General comment – P32]

Explaining to others

Some people talked about how they were able to use the resources to start conversations with others. For some, this was about using the resources and information to help others. For other people, the resources helped them to explain their condition or experiences to other people so that they understood better.

It’s learning different key words that I could use to say the same thing, so that it is more understandable for more people. [General comment – P06]

Well, I showed them to my mother, who’s living with me at the moment, and I think it gave her a little bit of insight. [General comment – P08]