Effect of counselor training on skills development and psychosocial status of volunteers with systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

Volunteers with systemic lupus erythematosus were recruited for a telephone service to provide psychosocial support to peers. The volunteers attended an &week counselor training program. The aim was to !evaluate the impact of the training on counselors' skill ldevelopment and to record possible changes in the counselors' psychosocial status. A second group of trainees [n = 35) was used as a delayed control for the first group [n = 14). D 1993 by the Arthritis Foundation. development included the Carkhuff Communications and Discrimination Skills Inventories and the Applied Knowledge Assessment scale. The latter was developed in-house and tested for reliability. Only the Carkhiiff Communications Skills [P < 0.001) and the Applied Knowledge Assessment [P < 0.001) showed significant changes pre-and post-test within subjects. These results persisted at the 6-month level.

Effective Self-Management Interventions for Patients With Lupus: Potential Impact of Peer Mentoring

“…Contact must be initiated by the caller, who is then professionally screened by a social worker before being matched with a volunteer. In follow-up evaluations, more than 60% of respondents reported feeling better able to cope, more in control, less depressed, less anxious and less alone, along with better understanding and talking more comfortably with others about their lupus, and attributed these changes to the utilization of LupusLine, 221 but most callers (60%) have been white, whereas 16% of callers were AA.…”

Peer approaches to self-management (PALS): comparing a peer mentoring approach for disease self-management in African American women with lupus with a social support control: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

“…If eligibility criteria are met, the screening/enrollment visit will be scheduled. Psychosocial status will be assessed as part of the mentor screening interview with the PI, using the psychological scales of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS), Arthritis Helplessness Index (AHI), Wallston General Perceived Competence Scale, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem, Campbell Personal Competence Index, Carkhuff Communication and Discrimination Skills Inventories, and the Applied Knowledge Assessment (AKA) scale [60]. The PI will make a determination of competence, maturity, emotional stability, and verbal communication skills after overall assessment during the screening interview and training.…”

“…The training manual was developed in collaboration with social work leadership from Hospital for Special Surgery’s LupusLine® Program. The program, led by the Department of Social Work Programs, is a free telephone counseling service staffed by trained volunteers who have SLE or are close family or friends of people living with lupus [60, 62].…”

Mechanisms underpinning effective peer support: a qualitative analysis of interactions between expert peers and patients newly-diagnosed with bipolar disorder

“…In a study of abused women, those who gave peer support viewed their ability to provide support as indicative of their own recovery [26]. Additionally, studies have found that peer supporters view their role as improving their communication skills and self-confidence, creating a greater appreciation for the emotional states of other people [27], enhancing their applied knowledge [28], perceptions of social support [29], perceived health, wellbeing [30] and quality of life [31]. Helping others also serves to increase the helper’s social role repertoire, a factor that has been shown to have positive effects on health [32].…”