A Relational Approach to the Design for Peer Support

Peer-support services enhance mental wellbeing and increase the knowledge and capabilities of self-help groups in various settings. To ensure that these services foster peer-support relationships as intended, it is necessary to design and assess them from a relational perspective. This study presents a relational framework for peer-support design and its application to two existing peer-support services for solitary seniors in Seoul and Ulsan. The framework aims to support the analysis and conception of peer-support services. It incorporates network analysis and codesigning to understand multi-faceted peer-support relationships and to develop strategies for creating relational values, respectively. Case studies used observation and interviews to understand the multi-faceted issue of social support. Relational data for fourteen solitary seniors were collected and analyzed in terms of the qualities, quantities, and structure of peer-support relationships. Analysis results demonstrate an increased level of perceived peer support through relationship forming, as well as the factors that suppress peer-support building such as network fragmentation and the discrepancy of needs. Analysis results were fed into codesigning interventions with stakeholders. Based on these findings, we discuss the preconditions for building peer-support relationships and outline the relational approach to the design for peer support in a wider context.

Exploring Peer Support Services for Youth Experiencing Multiple Health and Social Challenges in Canada: A Hybrid Realist-Participatory Evaluation Model

The Canadian youth services system is fragmented with less than one third of youth accessing the mental health services they need. Experts have called for systems transformation that will increase the integration of youth services and take advantage of complementary services, such as peer supports. Further, researchers have suggested that there is a need to identify the unique contribution and underlying mechanisms that support client recovery within youth peer support interventions. This paper describes the steps taken to implement a hybrid realist and participatory evaluation examining peer support services for youth (14–26 years old) with mental health, physical health and/or substance use challenges. We describe the procedures followed to engage peers in the design of the study and how this was integrated with a realist approach. We also provide a detailed description of the related adaptations to the methods applied within the second stage of the study. Lessons learned through the integration of the two methods are provided as well as potential implications for the findings and related research.

IMPORTANCE OF ‘PEER-SUPPORT’ SERVICES FROM A MENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVE

According to the estimates by the World Health Organization, the global burden of mental illness is likely to increase to 15% by 2020. (WHO, a call for action by World Health Ministers, 2001) Further, one in four people is affected by any kind of mental disorder. In India, where 150 million people need mental care, only 30 million are being treated or taken care of. (National Mental Health Survey of India, 2015) There is a pressing need for immediate interventions on the behalf of academicians, researchers, government and policy makers. India, where there is a dearth of medical workers especially in Mental Heathcare, our understanding of it becomes more critical. Our National Mental Health Policy, 2014 and the Mental Health Care Act, 2017 address the current mental health challenges of people.Addressing mental health issues through peer support is one of the best ways to cope several mental health challenges. Services or experiences are there shared by people who had any kind of mental illness in the past. Peer support services can help in breaking down stigmas and social isolation of the patients. The paper will explains both the global and Indian trend of peer support services in mental health. Further, it will also try to speculate different mental disorders and their targeted peer support services. It will also question the viability of having peer support services in India where there are social, economic challenges in accepting and treating mental illness.

Combining technical and expert-by-experience knowledge in the quest for personal recovery from bipolar disorder: a qualitative study

Background Knowledge construction is a form of communication in which people can work individually or collaboratively. Peer support services have been adopted by the public psychiatric and social welfare service as a regular form of intervention since 2015 in Hong Kong. Peer-based services can help people with bipolar disorder (BD) deal with the implications of the diagnosis, the way in which individuals with BD receive treatment, and the lifestyle changes that take place as a result of the diagnosis. Through a qualitative paradigm, this study aims to examine how individuals with BD use technical and expert-by-experience knowledge. Methods A total of 32 clients of mental health services were recruited from hospitals, Integrated Community Centers for Mental Wellness, and non-governmental organizations. They participated in semi-structured individual interviews. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis with the aid of NVivo. The findings were verified by peer researchers. Results Three main themes are presented in this article, including how clients made sense of the knowledge provided by mental health professionals and peer support workers (PSWs), critical perspectives about peer support services, and the way in which the services are more than knowledge transfer alone. Participants generally indicated that knowledge sharing revolved around three experiences: mood changes, medications, and sense of hope. Nevertheless, an empathic understanding of the clients’ experience was more important than the sharing of knowledge. Some clients perceived medication as the chief means to recovery, so PSWs were not useful for them. However, PSW role models had an effect beyond mere knowledge transmission, as they could promote clients’ pursuit of functional recovery goals. Conclusions The present study has improved our understanding of knowledge sharing between clients with BD and health professionals or PSWs, which should take place in an empathic and hope-instilling manner. It has also emphasized the value of the presence of a role model who can speak convincingly with clients to facilitate recovery. The present findings can be used to improve the care of people with BD by generating important guidance with regard to enhancing the knowledge exchange between clients and health practitioners.

Feasibility of peer support services among people with severe mental illness in China

Background Peer-delivered services potentially provide broad, multifaceted benefits for persons suffering severe mental illness. Most studies to date have been conducted in countries with well-developed outpatient mental health systems. The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility for developing a community-based peer service in China. Methods Thirteen peer service providers and 54 consumers were recruited from four communities in Beijing. We initiated the program in two communities, followed by another two in order to verify and add to our understanding of potential scalable feasibility. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted 12 month after initiation at each site to measure satisfaction and perceived benefits from perspectives of peer service providers, and consumers and their caregivers. Results Key stakeholders reported that peer support services were satisfying and beneficial. Eleven of 13 peer service providers were willing to continue in their roles. Ten, 8, and 7 of them perceived improvements in working skills, social communication skills, and mood, respectively. Among consumers, 39 of 54 were satisfied with peer services. Improvements in mood, social communication skills, illness knowledge, and illness stability were detected among 23, 18, 13, and 13 consumers, respectively. For caregivers, 31 of 32 expressed a positive view regarding peer services. Caregivers reported improvement in their own mood, confidence in recovery of their family members, and reduction in caretaker burdens. Conclusions The findings highlight that peer-delivered services have promise in China for benefiting persons with severe mental illness and their family caregivers, as well as the peer service providers themselves.