scholarly journals Peer support programs in the fields of medicine and nursing: a systematic search and narrative review

Author(s):  
Lara Pereira ◽  
Tamara Radovic ◽  
Kay-Anne Haykal

Peer-provided services exist in many different domains and professions. However, there is a knowledge gap in the existing programs’ descriptions and grouping that hinders creating new high-quality peer support programs. The objectives of this article are two-fold in describing existing peer support programs published in the literature in the medical field and evaluating their descriptive quality. Six electronic databases, grey literature, and reference lists were systematically searched. Studies reporting the existence of a support program delivered by peers and its description or methodology were included. Studies targeting patients and children were excluded. 11 articles were included in the qualitative synthesis and explored in detail. A total of 2155 peers participated in support programs in the fields of medicine, nursing, or both. Programs in other professional fields were not found. Programs were described in five different countries. Three methods of peer support delivery were found: in person, online, and mixed varying in their goals, duration, peer training supervision and participant demographics and number. Program descriptions were rated as good, fair, or poor using a verified rating scale.  There are numerous well-described programs varying in their methodology and type of delivery. Thus, the emergence of new programs can be based on such models that have been well-described in the literature.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARISA SCHLICHTHORST ◽  
Ingrid Ozols ◽  
Lennart Reifels ◽  
Amy Morgan

Abstract Background Peer-led support models have gained increasing popularity in mental healthcare. Yet little is known about the types of peer support programs that exist in suicide prevention and whether these are effective in improving the health and wellbeing of people at risk of suicide.Method We conducted a systematic scoping review, involving a search of three academic (Medline, PsycINFO, Embase), and selected grey literature databases (Google Scholar, WHO Clinical Trials Registry) for publications between 2000 and 2019. We also contacted suicide prevention experts and relevant internet sites to identify peer support programs that exist but have not been evaluated. The screening of records followed a systematic two-stage process in alignment with PRISMA guidelines.Results We identified 8 records accounting for 7 programs focused on peer-led support programs in suicide prevention. These programs employed a range of different designs and included a variety of settings (schools, communities, rural and online). Only 4 of these 7 programs contained data on the effectiveness of the program, and this evaluation data was descriptive on all accounts but showed promising results. With the small number of eligible programs in this review our findings are limited and must be interpreted with caution.Conclusions Despite the increased focus of policymakers on the importance of peer support programs in suicide prevention, our scoping review confirms an evidence gap in research knowledge regarding design, implementation, and effectiveness of programs. More rigour is required in reporting peer support initiatives to clarify the underlying definition of peer support and to enhance our understanding of the types of current peer support programs available to those experiencing suicidality. Further, we need formal and high-quality evaluations of peer support suicide prevention programs to better understand their effectiveness on participant health across different settings and delivery modalities and to allow for comprehensive systematic reviews and meta-analysis in future.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. e047283
Author(s):  
Rosalind Gittins ◽  
Louise Missen ◽  
Ian Maidment

IntroductionThere is a growing concern about the misuse of over the counter (OTC) and prescription only medication (POM) because of the impact on physical and mental health, drug interactions, overdoses and drug-related deaths. These medicines include opioid analgesics, anxiolytics such as pregabalin and diazepam and antidepressants. This protocol outlines how a systematic review will be undertaken (during June 2021), which aims to examine the literature on the pattern of OTC and POM misuse among adults who are accessing substance misuse treatment services. It will include the types of medication being taken, prevalence and demographic characteristics of people who access treatment services.Methods and analysisAn electronic search will be conducted on the Cochrane, OVID Medline, Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science databases as well as grey literature. Two independent reviewers will conduct the initial title and abstract screenings, using predetermined criteria for inclusion and exclusion. If selected for inclusion, full-text data extraction will be conducted using a pilot-tested data extraction form. A third reviewer will resolve disagreements if consensus cannot be reached. Quality and risk of bias assessment will be conducted for all included studies. A qualitative synthesis and summary of the data will be provided. If possible, a meta-analysis with heterogeneity calculation will be conducted; otherwise, Synthesis Without Meta-analysis will be undertaken for quantitative data. The reporting of this protocol follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required. Findings will be peer reviewed, published and shared verbally, electronically and in print, with interested clinicians and policymakers.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020135216.


Rheumatology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Moshtael ◽  
Sonia Khanom ◽  
Janet E McDonagh

Abstract Background/Aims  Fatigue has been reported by young people and professionals alike as a major challenge for people living with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) . It remains unclear as to how therapeutic interventions impacts on this major symptom. The aim of this review was to determine the current evidence for the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions, non- pharmacological and pharmacological, on improving fatigue in adolescents with JIA. Methods  Three electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO) were searched from 2000 to Feb 2020; in addition to manual searches. Articles were eligible for inclusion if they (i) were original research papers, (ii) had fatigue as a primary outcome measure (iii) included adolescents (10-25 years) and (iv) were available in the English language. Results  Of the 3,142 records identified, 31 underwent full text assessment and 4 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis including 2 from the Netherlands, 1 Germany, and 1 from Canada. The total number of participants across the 4 studies was 824. Three were randomised controlled trials of nonpharmacological interventions and one was a cohort study from a national drug registry including older adolescents JIA (mean: 19-years). Measurement tools included the Paediatric Quality of life multidimensional fatigue scale, (2 studies), the Checklist for Individual Strength CIS-20 (1 study), a numeric rating scale (1 study). In one study a visual analogue scale for energy level was also utilised. In 2 studies baseline prevalence of fatigue was reported as 60% and 76% respectively. Significant reduction in fatigue was observed in all three nonpharmacological studies. In the registry study, fatigue was noted to be prevalent in spite of the disease being in inactive or minimally active on biologic therapy. In 3 studies the relationship between health-related quality of life and fatigue was highlighted and showed a decreased quality of life in fatigued young people. Conclusion  Fatigue is a significant problem in JIA during adolescence and influences quality of life. Improvements in fatigue with non-pharmacological interventions have been reported. However, at present, data is insufficient to conclusively decide which treatment intervention is most efficacious in treating fatigue in young people with JIA. Fatigue should be considered as an important outcome measure for the management of JIA in future evaluations of interventions. Disclosure  S. Moshtael: None. S. Khanom: None. J.E. McDonagh: None.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (16) ◽  
pp. 3655
Author(s):  
Sangeetha Mahadevan ◽  
Moon Fai Chan ◽  
Marzieh Moghadas ◽  
Maithili Shetty ◽  
David T. Burke ◽  
...  

Recent research has shown that the prevalence of stroke incidents and the number of survivors in developing countries surpass those from developed countries. This study aimed to enumerate the prevalence of post-stroke psychiatric and cognitive symptoms among stroke survivors from West and South Asia and Africa through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Data from each country was systematically acquired from five major databases (PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed/Medline, and Google Scholar (for any missing articles and grey literature)). Meta-analytic techniques were then used to estimate the prevalence of various post-stoke psychiatric and cognitive symptoms. A total of 36 articles were accrued from 11 countries, of which 25 were evaluated as part of the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of post-stroke depression as per the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN), Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale ranged from 28.00 to 50.24%. Pooled prevalence of post-stroke anxiety based on the HADS and SCAN was 44.19% and 10.96%, respectively. The pooled prevalence of post-stroke cognitive impairment as per the Mini-Mental Status Examination was 16.76%. This present review has suggested that both psychiatric and cognitive symptoms are common among stroke survivors. Concerted efforts are needed to institute robust studies using culturally sensitive measures to contemplate mechanisms that address the unmet needs of this vulnerable population.


2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (9) ◽  
pp. A16.2-A16
Author(s):  
Christopher Holt ◽  
Samuel Keating ◽  
Michael Tonkins ◽  
Daniel Bradbury ◽  
Gordon Fuller

BackgroundSpecific mechanisms of injury are stated in pre-hospital triage tools to identify suspected cases of major trauma. Falls down stairs are common presentations in UK emergency departments, yet are frequently overlooked as a causative mechanism of major trauma. No prior systematic review has examined this association.MethodsSeven internationally recognised literature databases and seven grey literature databases were screened utilising a common search strategy from inception until 31 December 2019. Abstracts were screened for relevance by a single reviewer. Full texts were screened and subsequently extracted by 3 separate reviewers against strict inclusion/exclusion criteria. A risk of bias assessment based on GRADE recommendations was performed. In the absence of study heterogeneity, a narrative synthesis was planned. The reporting of this systematic review followed PRISMA 2009 statement guidelines.Results5240 articles were identified from database searching, 89 articles had their full texts assessed for eligibility and 6 articles were included for qualitative synthesis. All studies were retrospective in nature and originated from more economically developed countries. 7431 patients who fell down stairs were analysed, of which, 707 (9.5%) met major trauma definitions. Falls down stairs resulted in a significantly increased risk of serious injury compared to other fall mechanisms (OR: 1.621, 95% CI: 1.381 – 1.902, p<0.0005). Analysis of confounding factors demonstrated age (OR: 2.59, 95% CI: 1.57 – 4.28, p<0.001) and alcohol intoxication (OR: 2.6, 95% CI: 1.4 – 4.7, p=0.001) to be significantly associated with major trauma. Risk of bias was moderate to high across all 6 studies.ConclusionThis systematic review highlighted the paucity of literature surrounding the incidence of major trauma following falls down stairs.A retrospective cohort study is currently being undertaken to analyse the risk of major trauma following falls down stairs. On completion, the results will be incorporated with the results of this systematic review.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hadia Radwan ◽  
Rami A. Ballout ◽  
Hayder Hasan ◽  
Nader Lessan ◽  
Mirey Karavetian ◽  
...  

Background. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are considered as a global health problem and considered as a public health priority with the more considerable increasing trend of obesity and cardiometabolic disorders rates in the Middle Eastern countries. This systematic review aims at assessing the prevalence, incidence rates, and trends, as well as the cost of obesity and related cardiometabolic disorders in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods. A highly sensitive strategy was used to retrieve original observational studies, addressing the epidemiology and cost of obesity and related cardiometabolic disorders in the UAE, irrespective of nationality (nationals and expatriates). The search was conducted on April 4, 2017, within numerous electronic databases and the grey literature. Standardized and validated methods were used for data extraction and analysis as well as quality assessment. Results. 6789 records were retrieved, of which 36 were deemed eligible. High prevalence rates were reported for obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome in all studies. However, the definitions and methods employed by the studies were highly variable. The risk of bias in the epidemiological studies ranged between low and medium. Only one study reported the cost of illness for diabetes. In this study, the estimated cost per patient was $2,015 (adjusted to the year 2015), and it became twofold and sixfold higher in patients with microvascular and macrovascular complications, respectively. Conclusions. Obesity and related cardiometabolic disorders are highly prevalent in the UAE, but quoting a precise prevalence for them is difficult given the methodological heterogeneity of the epidemiological studies addressing them. Nonetheless, we detected a 2-3-fold increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the UAE between 1989 and 2017. It is hopeful that this systematic review will provide an insight into direct future studies, especially longitudinal studies exploring obesity and cardiometabolic risks and their costs.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-101 ◽  

Das Ziel dieser Studie war ein besseres Verständnis der vorhandenen Kenntnisse, Erwartungen und Bedenken von Krebspatienten im Hinblick auf Selbsthilfeprogramme. Mithilfe eines standardisierten kurzen Interviews und einer Inhaltsanalyse wurden Informationen von 51 Patienten erfasst und ausgewertet. Lediglich 37% der Patienten gaben an, Selbsthilfeprogramme zu kennen, und wiederum die Hälfte davon besuchte regelmäßig eine Selbsthilfegruppe. Von denjenigen Patienten, die diese Programme nicht kannten, zeigten 47% grundsätzliches Interesse. Die Gründe für die Teilnahme an einer Selbsthilfegruppe waren insbesondere der Austausch mit anderen Patienten (18% aller Angaben), der Zugewinn an Informationen über die Krankheit und ihre Behandlung (10%) sowie die emotionale Unterstützung (9%). Als Hauptargument gegen eine Teilnahme wurde die Befürchtung angeführt, unter der Konfrontation mit den Problemen anderer zu leiden (21%). Die Resonanz könnte verbessert werden, wenn Freiwillige und medizinisches Fachpersonal die Patienten ausführlicher über die verschiedenen Formen von Selbsthilfeangeboten informieren. Übersetzung aus Stickel A, et al: Patients' Knowledge and Attitudes towards Cancer Peer Support Programs. Oncology 2015;89:242-244 (DOI: 10.1159/000430918)


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