Our researchers spoke to 32 people around Victoria and New South Wales with lived experience of a wide variety of physical and mental health concerns, 28 of whom feature their stories in this resource. These people came from a range of backgrounds, were at different stages of their health journey and recounted diverse experiences of mental health and physical healthcare. Participants were aged between 21 and 66 years old at the time of their interviews. We spoke to twelve men and twenty women; none of our participants identified as non-binary or transgender. Participants grew up and/or had lived in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Lebanon, Oman, Egypt, Malaysia, the Philippines, and one was a member of the Gamilaroi nation. Eleven people had children. People's education backgrounds varied, with five people leaving secondary school before Year 12, three people completing secondary school, five people completing diplomas or certificates, nine people attaining Bachelor’s degrees and five people completing Master’s degrees. 10 people were currently working, 12 were actively volunteering, and seven were studying at the time of their interview.
