Background: Peer support is a mutual aid system based on the belief that someone who faced/overcome adversity can provide support, encouragement and guidance to those who experience similar situations. Objective: To conduct a systematic review that describes this concept and characterizes peer supporters, its practice and efficacy. Method: Research on ISI Web of Science, EBSCO Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection and Medline databases (from 2001 to December 2013) was conducted using as keywords "mental illness", "mental health", "psychiatric disability", "mental health services", combined with "peer support", "mutual support", "self-help groups", "consumers as providers", "peer-run services", "peer-run programs" and "social support". Results: We found 1,566 articles and the application of both the exclusion (studies with children, teenagers and elderly people; disease in comorbidity; peer support associated to physical illnesses or family members/caregivers) and the inclusion criteria (full text scientific papers, peer support or similar groups directed for schizophrenia, depression, bipolar or psychotic disorders) lead to 165 documents, where 22 were excluded due to repetition and 31 to incomplete text. We analyzed 112 documents, identifying as main peer support categories: characterization, peer supporter, practices and efficacy. Discussion: Despite an increasing interest about this topic, there is no consensus, suggesting realizing more studies.

No abstract

Introduction: This study aims to determine the guiding principles for the implementation of peer support programmes in Portugal. Materials and methods: The study was divided in two phases. In the first phase a systematic review of 112 papers indexed in ISI and EBSCO databases (2001-2012) was conducted. In the second phase clinicians, researchers, and people with psychiatric disabilities were invited to take part in a two-round online survey based on the Delphi process to rate the importance of statements generated from the systematic review. Data were analysed with NVIVO 9 and SPSS 19. Results: During the Delphi round 72 experts were contacted, 44 participated in the second round. A consensus was achieved on major statements, with 84% of the sentences obtaining a consensus and eight key recommendations covering goals of peer support, selection of peer supporters, training and accreditation, role of mental health professionals, role of peer supporters, access to peer supporters, looking after peer supporters, and programme evaluation were based on these statements. Conclusions: Use of peer support for mental heath problems is still underexplored and surrounded by some controversy and ambiguity. However, its organisation and proper monitoring appears to enhance the quality of life and social inclusion of people with mental illness. This highlights the importance of conducting studies that increase our knowledge of these programmes and determining guidelines for their implementation. This national consensus may be used as a starting point for the design and implementation of peer support programmes in mental health organisations.