No abstract

Objective Various models of peer support may be implemented in mental health settings. This randomized trial assessed the effectiveness of a telephone-delivered mutual peer support intervention. Methods A total of 443 patients receiving ongoing depression treatment from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs were enrolled in either enhanced usual care (N=243) or the peer support intervention (N=200). Intent-to-treat analyses assessed outcomes at six months postenrollment, excluding 56 patients who experienced an unplanned telephone platform shutdown. Results At baseline, patients had substantial depressive symptoms, functional limitations, and low quality of life. Both groups showed significant clinical improvements at six months, with no significant differences by group. Conclusions Telephone-delivered mutual peer support for patients with depression did not improve outcomes beyond those observed with enhanced usual care. Other peer support models, with more “professionalized” peers delivering a structured curriculum, may be more effective.

Using data from a sample of 398 veterans diagnosed with depression, the present study used principal components analysis to shorten the Mental Health Recovery Measure (MHRM) to a 10-item instrument. Results indicated the 10-item MHRM had excellent internal reliability. Construct validity for the 10-item MHRM was evidenced by correlations with measures of depression coping self-efficacy, social adjustment, hopelessness, and depression. The 10-item MHRM derived in the present study was compared with a 10-item version of the MHRM that was previously empirically derived in a sample of veterans with schizophrenia (Armstrong, Cohen, Hellemann, Reist, & Young, 2014). Results suggest that similar items represent the underlying construct of recovery for veterans with depression and veterans with schizophrenia. Veterans with depression reported lower average levels of recovery than veterans with schizophrenia. Study limitations, directions for future investigations, and the implications of routine assessment of mental health recovery in public mental health systems are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record