A one-year longitudinal qualitative study of peer support services in a non-Western context: The perspectives of peer support workers, service users, and co-workers

Tse, Samson; Mak, Winnie W. S.; Lo, I.; Liu, Lucia L.; Yuen, Winnie W. Y.; Yau, Sania S. W.; Ho, Kimmy; Chan, Sau-Kam; Wong, Stephen Heung-Sang

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.05.007

Cited by 31 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 48 publications

(43 reference statements)

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“…However, progressively over a 12‐month period working alongside peers, understanding, enthusiasm, commitment and ultimately a desire for further development of the roles occurred as exposure and understanding grew (Tse et al . ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Tse et al . () reported co‐workers, including some managers, as originally unsure of the potential role and value of peers. However, progressively over a 12‐month period working alongside peers, understanding, enthusiasm, commitment and ultimately a desire for further development of the roles occurred as exposure and understanding grew (Tse et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘You don't know what you don't know’: The essential role of management exposure, understanding and commitment in peer workforce development

Byrne

Roennfeldt

Wang

et al. 2019

Int J Mental Health Nurs

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The peer workforce has increased significantly in recent years; however, structured development and support for the roles are lacking. This paper explores the role of executive and senior management understanding in the employment of peer roles. In‐depth, semi‐structured interviews and one focus group were conducted with 29 participants from a range of nongovernment and public mental health services within Queensland, Australia. Findings of this study suggest management exposure to and understanding of peer work are essential to the development of an effective peer workforce. Exposure and understanding of peer roles reportedly led to greater acceptance and commitment from management. This commitment inspired action in the form of; enhanced support including advocacy/championing, increased development of roles and influenced culture within the organization to be more accepting of peer work. There was a perception that developing an ‘accepting’ organizational culture supported the integrity and expansion of peer roles including designated ‘peer management’ positions. Development of peer management positions is suggested as an effective means of improving the impact of peer perspectives, advocating for peer work and providing ongoing and timely supervision. Recommendations include the need for training and information for management on the unique function, purpose and value of peer roles; and the development of networks, including mentoring opportunities, for organizations with limited experience to gain support and advice from those with greater experience developing peer roles.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘You don't know what you don't know’: The essential role of management exposure, understanding and commitment in peer workforce development

Byrne

Roennfeldt

Wang

et al. 2019

Int J Mental Health Nurs

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Prior research has indicated that the operation of peer services should be consistent with local customs, values, and resource availability [16]. Attempts to implement peer services were made in Hong Kong; these focused primarily on changing attitudes among peer support workers toward the delivery of peer services [17]. However, there was no clarity regarding their acceptability or the overall impact of peer services delivered in Chinese communities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Fan

et al. 2019

BMC Psychiatry

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BackgroundPeer-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.MethodsThirteen 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.ResultsKey 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.ConclusionsThe 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.

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“…For instance, a qualitative one-year longitudinal study in Hong Kong found peer support services to improve motivation, positive thinking, empowerment, physical well-being, and connections with other clients [17]. Several effectiveness studies and reviews have shown that peer support services are able to instill a sense of hope, control, and self-efficacy; to enhance self-care, relationships with service providers, and participation in treatment; to increase a sense of belonging to a community and satisfaction with life; and to reduce psychotic and mood symptoms among clients with mental illness [18–23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several effectiveness studies and reviews have shown that peer support services are able to instill a sense of hope, control, and self-efficacy; to enhance self-care, relationships with service providers, and participation in treatment; to increase a sense of belonging to a community and satisfaction with life; and to reduce psychotic and mood symptoms among clients with mental illness [18–23]. Recent studies on peer support services focus on three main areas: 1) conducting high-quality clinical trials [14, 17, 20, 23, 24]; 2) studying what works to achieve an organizational transformation or cultural workplace shift to better implement peer support services [14, 23, 25, 26]; and 3) deepening our understanding of the mechanism of how PSWs work [14, 21, 27, 28]. One of the mechanism-related questions is as follows: How do clients conceptualize the knowledge derived from mental health professionals and PSWs to manage their BD?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

et al. 2019

Self Cite

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BackgroundKnowledge 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.MethodsA 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.ResultsThree 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.ConclusionsThe 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.

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A one-year longitudinal qualitative study of peer support services in a non-Western context: The perspectives of peer support workers, service users, and co-workers

Cited by 31 publications

References 48 publications

‘You don't know what you don't know’: The essential role of management exposure, understanding and commitment in peer workforce development

‘You don't know what you don't know’: The essential role of management exposure, understanding and commitment in peer workforce development

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

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

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