Lessons from Peer Support Among Individuals with Mental Health Difficulties: A Review of the Literature
Open Access
- 16 April 2012
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Bentham Science Publishers Ltd. in Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health
- Vol. 8 (1), 22-29
- https://doi.org/10.2174/1745017901208010022
Abstract
We conducted a comprehensive narrative review and used a systematic search strategy to identify studies related to peer support among adults with mental health difficulties. The purposes of this review were to describe the principles, effects and benefits of peer support documented in the published literature, to discuss challenging aspects of peer support and to investigate lessons from peer support. Fifty-one studies, including 8 review articles and 19 qualitative studies, met the inclusion criteria for this review. Most of the challenges for peer support were related to “role” and “relationship” issues; that is, how peer support providers relate to people who receive peer support and how peer support providers are treated in the system. The knowledge gained from peer support relationships, such as mutual responsibility and interdependence, might be a clue toward redefining the helper-helper relationship as well as the concepts of help and support.Keywords
This publication has 53 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Health and Recovery Peer (HARP) Program: A peer-led intervention to improve medical self-management for persons with serious mental illnessSchizophrenia Research, 2010
- The 2009 Schizophrenia PORT Psychosocial Treatment Recommendations and Summary StatementsSchizophrenia Bulletin, 2009
- Putting Values into Practice: Public Policy and the Future of Mental Health Consumer‐run OrganizationsAmerican Journal of Community Psychology, 2008
- Monitoring the Dissemination of Peer Support in the VA Healthcare SystemCommunity Mental Health Journal, 2008
- Mental health peer support for hospital avoidance and early discharge: An Australian example of consumer driven and operated serviceJournal of Mental Health, 2008
- A longitudinal study of mental health consumer/survivor initiatives: Part V–Outcomes at 3-year follow-upJournal of Community Psychology, 2007
- Developing Strategies to Integrate Peer Providers into the Staff of Mental Health AgenciesAdministration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 2007
- The consumer-employee as a member of a Mental Health Assertive Outreach Team. II. Impressions of consumer-employees and other team membersJournal of Mental Health, 2004
- Working in a community recreation program: A study of consumer-staff perspectivesAustralian Occupational Therapy Journal, 2003
- Peer support among individuals with severe mental illness: A review of the evidence.Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 1999