A systematic review of peer-supported interventions for health promotion and disease prevention

Constructing health capital in ecological systems: A qualitative evaluation of community-based health workshops in the refugee community

“…Thus, culturally responsive interventions that are grounded to the community and relevant to cultural practice can be effective for health and mental health promotion. Such examples include community‐based advocacy and learning interventions with Hmong refugees (Goodkind, Hang, & Yang, ), faith‐based, lay‐led interventions (Lang, Zoellner, Graham, Marks, & Feeny, ; Yick & Oomen‐Early, ), promotora or health promoters in Latino/a communities (Fisher et al., ; Ramchand et al., ), and community‐based, peer‐led health workshop in the Bhutanese community (Im & Rosenberg, ). These interventions adopted a peer‐to‐peer, mutual aid or mutual learning model outside healthcare systems, promoting community health and mental health through a public health approach emphasising prevention and wellness.…”

“…To properly respond to such enormous health needs in refugee populations, culturally distinctive challenges and gaps that derive disparities should be better considered and addressed. Poor medical access and low formal help-seeking among foreign-born populations are in part due to unbridged gaps in communication, health beliefs and expectations (Cauce et al, 2002;Chang, Chen, & Alegría, 2014;Lee & Hadeed, 2009 (Goodkind, Hang, & Yang, 2004), faith-based, lay-led interventions (Lang, Zoellner, Graham, Marks, & Feeny, 2016;Yick & Oomen-Early, 2009), promotora or health promoters in Latino/a communities (Fisher et al, 2014;Ramchand et al, 2017), and community-based, peer-led health workshop in the Bhutanese community (Im & Rosenberg, 2016). These interventions adopted a peer-to-peer, mutual aid or mutual learning model outside healthcare systems, promoting community health and mental health through a public health approach emphasising prevention and wellness.…”

Bridging Gaps in Mental Health Care: Lessons Learned from the Welcome Back Veterans Initiative

“…Some organizations specifically use peers in official roles to help navigate benefits and systems (such as an ombudsman or peer navigator). The evidence on whether peers improve outcomes for other veterans is scant, and the literature on the empirical support for involving peers in health-related interventions is mixed, largely based on the role and function of the peer (Ramchand et al, 2017). Over the past several years, the VA and nongovernmental sources of mental health services have worked to incorporate peers into their continuum of mental health services.…”

Randomised clinical trial of an emergency department-based peer recovery support intervention to increase treatment uptake and reduce recurrent overdose among individuals at high risk for opioid overdose: study protocol for the navigator trial

“…It is possible, however, that these types of interventions may be more effective if delivered by people with lived experiences with SUD and recovery. Peer-based interventions are an effective component of care across non-clinical settings and in other aspects of healthcare for other conditions 21. A recent systematic review by Ramchand and colleagues21 found that group-based interventions that use peers as educators commonly improve knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and perceptions and improve connectedness and engagement with health promotion activities 21.…”

“…Peer-based interventions are an effective component of care across non-clinical settings and in other aspects of healthcare for other conditions 21. A recent systematic review by Ramchand and colleagues21 found that group-based interventions that use peers as educators commonly improve knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and perceptions and improve connectedness and engagement with health promotion activities 21. Further, a recent systematic review of peer recovery support services in care for SUD found that existing randomised controlled trials have been subject to several limitations, particularly poorly defined and non-manualised roles for peers, and, as such, there remains a need for more rigorous evaluation to determine the efficacy, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of peer recovery support services 22.…”