Searching, Unpacking, Naming: Research Into Subjective Experiences Study (SUN RISE)
Project overview
The SUNRISE project explored how research into subjective experiences of depression, anxiety and psychosis is conducted and valued globally within mental health research.
The team, led by McPin with the Institute for Medical Humanities at Durham University, and independent survivor research, Alison Faulkner, took a broad view of the term ‘subjective experience’. They started from the understanding that it encompasses the many ways individuals and groups interpret and experience the world they live in.
Through five methods of enquiry led by lived-experience researchers, from semi-structured interviews to a participatory Q-sort study, the team concluded that learning from subjective experiences in mental health research is not an optional extra. It is central to making science that is valid, ethical, and impactful.
The project concept note is available to read. The final SUNRISE report launched in May 2026.
This work was commissioned by Wellcome, with some additional funding through a Discovery Research Platform Award to the Institute for Medical Humanities at Durham University.
Project details
The SUNRISE study was commissioned by Wellcome to understand why research on the subjective experience of mental health issues was not more visible and integrated into mental health science.
This study enabled us to begin mapping the current landscape of subjective experiences in mental health research. At the outset, the aim was to identify ways that greater engagement with subjective experiences might be useful or appropriate, and how the ways in which this kind of research is recorded or shared might inform future research directions and efforts.
McPin brought a lived experience perspective, leading this study along with partners at the Institute for Medical Humanities at Durham University, and survivor researcher Alison Faulkner.
The study convened an international advisory group including experts by experience, which informed and shaped each stage of the project.
If you’d like to find out more information about the Discovery Research Platform for Medical Humanities at Durham University, please visit their webpages at The Platform.
Please email [email protected] if you have any questions or would like more information on the SUN RISE Study specifically.
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