scholarly journals A Web-Disseminated Self-Help and Peer Support Program Could Fill Gaps in Mental Health Care: Lessons From a Consumer Survey

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. e5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha L Bernecker ◽  
Kaitlin Banschback ◽  
Gennarina D Santorelli ◽  
Michael J Constantino
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
Support Program ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Training Course ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Peer Support Program

Background Self-guided mental health interventions that are disseminated via the Web have the potential to circumvent barriers to treatment and improve public mental health. However, self-guided interventions often fail to attract consumers and suffer from user nonadherence. Uptake of novel interventions could be improved by consulting consumers from the beginning of the development process in order to assess their interest and their preferences. Interventions can then be tailored using this feedback to optimize appeal. Objective The aim of our study was to determine the level of public interest in a new mental health intervention that incorporates elements of self-help and peer counseling and that is disseminated via a Web-based training course; to identify predictors of interest in the program; and to identify consumer preferences for features of Web-based courses and peer support programs. Methods We surveyed consumers via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk to estimate interest in the self-help and peer support program. We assessed associations between demographic and clinical characteristics and interest in the program, and we obtained feedback on desired features of the program. Results Overall, 63.9% (378/592) of respondents said that they would try the program; interest was lower but still substantial among those who were not willing or able to access traditional mental health services. Female gender, lower income, and openness to using psychotherapy were the most consistent predictors of interest in the program. The majority of respondents, although not all, preferred romantic partners or close friends as peer counselors and would be most likely to access the program if the training course were accessed on a stand-alone website. In general, respondents valued training in active listening skills. Conclusions In light of the apparent public interest in this program, Web-disseminated self-help and peer support interventions have enormous potential to fill gaps in mental health care. The results of this survey can be used to inform the design of such interventions.

EHealth Interventions for People Suffering From Sleep Problems and Depressive Symptoms

2017 ◽  
pp. 111-138
Author(s):  
Sitwat Usman Langrial ◽  
Päivi Lappalainen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Moderate Depression ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment

This chapter highlights qualitative findings from two field studies that focused on supporting people with sleeplessness (Study 1) and moderate depression (Study II). Both the studies were designed to examine the prospective impact of reminders and rehearsal on the effectiveness of web- based eHealth interventions. The interventions were incorporated with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. In this chapter, qualitative findings are reported with an aim to highlight issues that are at times overlooked. Further, the findings are expected to help researchers better understand eHealth interventions for mental health care. Results from the two studies uncover interesting contrasts. While the participants of the Study I (Sleeplessness) generally did not find reminders to be helpful, on the contrary, the participants of study II (Moderate Depression) largely approved reminders especially in terms of task completion. In terms of rehearsal, participants from both the studies approved the virtual exercises in terms of learning desirable self-help behaviors. Finally, the chapter highlights some of the grey areas in the field of eHealth interventions for mental health care. The identified grey areas are expected to create opportunities for further research and advances in the field of mental health care.

EHealth Interventions for People Suffering From Sleep Problems and Depressive Symptoms

2021 ◽  
pp. 1180-1200
Author(s):  
Sitwat Usman Langrial ◽  
Päivi Lappalainen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Moderate Depression ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment

This chapter highlights qualitative findings from two field studies that focused on supporting people with sleeplessness (Study 1) and moderate depression (Study II). Both the studies were designed to examine the prospective impact of reminders and rehearsal on the effectiveness of web- based eHealth interventions. The interventions were incorporated with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. In this chapter, qualitative findings are reported with an aim to highlight issues that are at times overlooked. Further, the findings are expected to help researchers better understand eHealth interventions for mental health care. Results from the two studies uncover interesting contrasts. While the participants of the Study I (Sleeplessness) generally did not find reminders to be helpful, on the contrary, the participants of study II (Moderate Depression) largely approved reminders especially in terms of task completion. In terms of rehearsal, participants from both the studies approved the virtual exercises in terms of learning desirable self-help behaviors. Finally, the chapter highlights some of the grey areas in the field of eHealth interventions for mental health care. The identified grey areas are expected to create opportunities for further research and advances in the field of mental health care.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a Web-based Psychosocial Education and Peer Support Program for Alcohol Use Concerns

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Dezarie Moskal ◽  
Holly Whitaker ◽  
Julia F. Bernstein ◽  
Stephen A. Maisto ◽  
Gerard J. Connors
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Support Program ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Peer Support Program

The importance of peer support in the recovery process of persons with mental disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Stimac Grbic ◽  
I Pavic Simetin ◽  
A Istvanovic
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Community Intervention ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Hospital Treatment ◽  
Personal Recovery

Abstract Issue Care for people with severe mental disorders requires approach that is focused on a person's strengths, not his weaknesses, and is a shift from a deficit model that is often associated with mental illness. Care users and their family members play an important role in this approach. Description of the Problem Mental disorders are the leading group of diseases in Croatia, according to the number of days of hospital treatment. The number of hospitalizations is high, and the rate of hospitalization for depression has tripled in the last twenty years. Such indicators highlight the need for reorientation of mental health care, from hospital-based to community-based, by organizing mobile community intervention teams. Results In Croatia, psychosocial peer teams were established by the NGO Ludruga, financed by local government, to provide peer support to persons with mental disorders. The main activities are: development of a personal recovery plan, home visits and providing psychological support to persons with mental disorders, organizing support groups and education of peer workers. The teams consist of a peer worker, social worker, psychologist, and operate under the supervision of a psychiatrist. The teams have been operating for five years, have had over a hundred users so far and are a significant help to the healthcare system in preventing rehospitalizations. Lessons The goal of therapeutic interventions in mental health care should be recovery. Recovery involves empowering a person to take responsibility for themselves and their health. Peer workers play an important role in the recovery process, providing hope for recovery. Their role must also be recognized by the health system. Key messages People with mental disorders and their families should be co-creators of care and recovery-oriented interventions. Only by comprehensive interventions, tackling all determinants of health, therapeutic goal can be achieved.

scholarly journals Combining online and offline peer support groups in mental health care: A qualitative study of service users� experiences (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Strand ◽  
Deede Gammon ◽  
Lillian Sofie Eng ◽  
Cornelia Ruland
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Individual Interviews

BACKGROUND Peer support groups for people with long-term mental health problems are at the heart of recovery-oriented approaches in mental health care. When conducted face-to-face (offline) or on the Internet (online), peer support groups have proven to have differing strengths and weaknesses. Little is known about the benefits and challenges of combining the two formats. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to gain insights into the benefits and challenges of combining online and offline peer support groups facilitated through an Internet intervention designed to support recovery processes. METHODS In this exploratory and descriptive study, an e-recovery portal called ReConnect was used by service users in two mental health communities in Norway for 6-12 months. The portal included an online peer support forum which also facilitated participation in local in-person ReConnect-cafés. Both formats of peer support were facilitated by an employed service user consultant with lived experience of mental health problems and with training in peer support. Qualitative data about service users’ experiences of using the portal were collected through focus groups and individual interviews and inductively analyzed thematically with focus on benefits and challenges of peer support online and offline. RESULTS A total of 14 service users 22-63 years of age with various diagnoses, receiving services at both primary and specialist levels of mental health care participated in three focus groups and 10 individual interviews. Two main themes were identified in the analysis: 1) balancing anonymity and openness, and 2) enabling connectedness. These themes are further illustrated with the subthemes: i) dilemmas of anonymity and confidentiality, ii) towards self-disclosure and openness, iii) new friendships, and iv) networks in the local community. Three of the subthemes mainly describe benefits. Challenges were more implicit and cut across the subthemes. Identified challenges were linked to transitions from anonymity to revealing one’s identity, how to protect confidentiality, or to participation at face-to-face meetings in the local community. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that online peer support groups and offline meetings complement each other, and the combination is mainly beneficial to users. The identified benefits appeared to arise from participants’ options of one format or the other, or that they could combine formats in ways that suited their individual values and comfort zones. We also identified challenges related to combination of formats, and both formats require appropriate facilitation of peer support. Combining online formats that enable anonymity, a non-judgmental atmosphere, and 24/7 accessibility regardless of location, with offline formats that foster local, in-person community ties, is a promising concept for facilitating recovery-oriented care, and warrants continued research.

scholarly journals Shaping Blended Care: Adapting an Instrument to Support Therapists in Using eMental Health

10.2196/24245 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. e24245
Author(s):  
Hanneke Kip ◽  
Jobke Wentzel ◽  
Saskia M Kelders
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Participatory Development ◽  
Project Team ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Blended Care

Background Although eMental health interventions, especially when delivered in a blended way, have great potential to improve the quality and efficiency of mental health care, their use in practice lags behind expectations. The Fit for Blended Care (FfBC) instrument was developed to support therapists and clients in shaping blended care in a way that optimally fits their needs. However, this existing version cannot be directly applied to specific branches of mental health care as it is too broad and generic. Objective The goal of this study is to adapt the existing FfBC instrument to fit a specific, complex setting—forensic mental health care—by means of participatory development with therapists. Methods The participatory process was divided into 4 phases and was executed by a project team consisting of 1 manager, 3-5 therapists, and 1 researcher. In phase 1, general requirements for the adaptation of the existing instrument were discussed in 2 focus groups with the project team. In phase 2, patient-related factors that influence the use of an existing web-based intervention were elicited through semistructured interviews with all 18 therapists working at an outpatient clinic. In phase 3, multiple focus groups with the project teams were held to create the first version of the adapted FfBC instrument. In phase 4, a digital prototype of the instrument was used with 8 patients, and the experiences of the 4 therapists were discussed in a focus group. Results In phase 1, it became clear that the therapists’ main requirement was to develop a much shorter instrument with a few items, in which the content was specifically tailored to the characteristics of forensic psychiatric outpatients. The interviews showed a broad range of patient-related factors, of which 5 were used in the instrument: motivation for blended treatment; writing about thoughts, feelings, and behavior; conscientiousness; psychosocial problems; and social support. In addition, a part of the instrument was focused on the practical necessary preconditions that patients should fill by themselves before the treatment was developed. The use of the web-based prototype of the instrument in treatment resulted in overall positive experiences with the content; however, therapists indicated that the items should be formulated in a more patient-centered way to encourage their involvement in discussing the factors. Conclusions The participatory, iterative process of this study resulted in an adapted version of the FfBC instrument that fits the specific forensic context and supports shared decision making. In general, the adaptiveness of the instrument is important: its content and implementation should fit the type of care, the organization, and eHealth intervention. To adapt the instrument to other contexts, the guidelines described in this paper can be followed.

Unintentional participant observation: a research method to inform peer support in mental health?

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Voyce
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mental Health Issues

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to validate peer support in mental health care. Design/methodology/approach Literature review and meta-analysis methodology are used. Findings The unintentional nature of peer support is a valid methodology for the understanding of mental health issues and mental health care. Research limitations/implications The limitation is that peer experience should be accepted as a valued method for research. Practical implications Professional domains may not keep a monopoly of research approaches in mental health. Social implications Peer support may mean more avenues for empowerment of mental health service users from peer role models who have unintentional acquaintance with mental health issues and care. Originality/value This research refers to ethnographic precedents to describe methodology relevant to twenty-first century peer support in mental health. It is original in valuing the unintentional participant observation acquired from experience of the mental health system.

scholarly journals Challenges to peer support in low- and middle-income countries during COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Mpango ◽  
Jasmine Kalha ◽  
Donat Shamba ◽  
Mary Ramesh ◽  
Fileuka Ngakongwa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Low Resource Settings ◽  
Mental Health Conditions ◽  
Middle Income Countries

Abstract Background A recent editorial urged those working in global mental health to “change the conversation” on coronavirus disease (Covid-19) by putting more focus on the needs of people with severe mental health conditions. UPSIDES (Using Peer Support In Developing Empowering mental health Services) is a six-country consortium carrying out implementation research on peer support for people with severe mental health conditions in high- (Germany, Israel), lower middle- (India) and low-income (Tanzania, Uganda) settings. This commentary briefly outlines some of the key challenges faced by UPSIDES sites in low- and middle-income countries as a result of Covid-19, sharing early lessons that may also apply to other services seeking to address the needs of people with severe mental health conditions in similar contexts. Challenges and lessons learned The key take-away from experiences in India, Tanzania and Uganda is that inequalities in terms of access to mobile technologies, as well as to secure employment and benefits, put peer support workers in particularly vulnerable situations precisely when they and their peers are also at their most isolated. Establishing more resilient peer support services requires attention to the already precarious situation of people with severe mental health conditions in low-resource settings, even before a crisis like Covid-19 occurs. While it is essential to maintain contact with peer support workers and peers to whatever extent is possible remotely, alternatives to face-to-face delivery of psychosocial interventions are not always straightforward to implement and can make it more difficult to observe individuals’ reactions, talk about emotional issues and offer appropriate support. Conclusions In environments where mental health care was already heavily medicalized and mostly limited to medications issued by psychiatric institutions, Covid-19 threatens burgeoning efforts to pursue a more holistic and person-centered model of care for people with severe mental health conditions. As countries emerge from lockdown, those working in global mental health will need to redouble their efforts not only to make up for lost time and help individuals cope with the added stressors of Covid-19 in their communities, but also to regain lost ground in mental health care reform and in broader conversations about mental health in low-resource settings.

The views of professional on the role of self-help groups in the mental health area

1999 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 84-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A Dunn ◽  
Aine C Fitzpatric
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Postal Survey ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Self Help Groups ◽  
The Impact

AbstractObjectives: Changes in healthcare policy over the last decade emphasise care in the community over residential care. Self-help organisations may play a useful role in these circumstances. Against this background, the objective of this study was to obtain the views of members of the main mental health professions on the place of self-help groups in mental health care.Method: A postal survey of 255 mental health professionals from two health boards was carried out, using a semi-structured questionnaire that contained both open and closed questions. The responses obtained were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis as appropriate.Results: The response rate was 35% so results must be interpreted cautiously. Self-help groups are used particularly in the management of addictive behaviours, and are also considered useful in cases of mood disorder. In general, self-help organisations are seen as providing support to patients and their families; information on mental illness/health to the general public; and lobbying for services relevant to the needs of their members. Respondents were concerned that the philosophy and programme of a group should not conflict with established models of mental health. The impact of the organisational structure of the multi-disciplinary team on the referral pattern of the different mental health professions, and the role of group availability and accessibility on the decision to refer a patient to a self-help group is commented upon.Conclusions: While some professionals see a role for self-help organisations in the mental health care system, reservations expressed about a possible clash between selfhelp groups' approach and professional mental healthcare practice need to be addressed so that the potential of both positions can be realised.

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