Skip to main contentWorld ViewPublished: 09 October 2026Xanthe Hunt ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7531-66651,2,3 Nature Mental Health (2026) Cite this articleSave articleView saved researchMental-health research values lived experience, yet researchers with mental illness often find their own experiences treated as a professional liability. Drawing on her dual perspective, Xanthe Hunt argues that this asymmetry of grace is a structural issue that the field must address.This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institutionAccess options Access through your institutionSubscribe to this journalReceive 12 digital issues and online access to articles79,00 € per yearonly 6,58 € per issueLearn moreBuy this articlePurchase on SpringerLinkInstant access to the full article PDF.39,95 €Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkoutSubjectsCareersPsychologyReferencesLeFrançois, B. A., Menzies, R. & Reaume, G. (eds). Mad Matters: a Critical Reader in Canadian Mad Studies 1–21 (Canadian Scholar, 2013).Rashed, M. A. Madness and the Demand for Recognition: a Philosophical Inquiry into Identity and Mental Health Activism (Oxford Univ. Press, 2019).Thornicroft, G. et al. Lancet 400, 1438–1480 (2022).Article PubMed Google Scholar Martin, K. LinkedIn Blog https://go.nature.com/46fyZQT (2020).Sharma, P. PLoS Ment. Health 2, e0000495 (2025).Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar Hunt, D. F. Crit. Public Health https://doi.org/10.1080/09581596.2026.2619251 (2026).Article Google Scholar Download referencesAuthor informationAuthors and AffiliationsAfrica Health Research Institute (AHRI), Durban, South AfricaXanthe HuntMental Health, Alcohol, Substance Use and Tobacco Research Unit (MAST-RU), South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South AfricaXanthe HuntDepartment of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South AfricaXanthe HuntAuthorsXanthe HuntView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarCorresponding authorCorrespondence to Xanthe Hunt.Ethics declarationsRights and permissionsReprints and permissionsAbout this article