Integrating mental health peer support in clinical settings: Lessons from Canada and Norway

Abstract

Mental health peer support is an evidence-based approach called for by Canada's mental health strategy that presents health leaders with an opportunity to transform mental health service experiences, improve health outcomes, and lower overall system costs. Originally offered in community settings, peer support has been expanding to clinical settings, but challenges to integration exist. This qualitative case study of peer support in clinical settings in Canada and Norway examines the perceived value of peer support and change management strategies that health leaders, managers, staff, and peer support providers can use to support integration of peer support in existing healthcare teams in clinical settings. Recommended strategies for health leaders include adopting a gradual approach to integration, building champions, demonstrating value, focusing on resistant groups, adopting a continuous improvement approach, setting peer support as an organizational priority, and linking peer support to patient-centred care.

Implementation of three innovative interventions in a psychiatric emergency department aimed at improving service use: a mixed-method study

“…Regarding organizational issues, staff members underlined communication problems between staff and organizations, often related to their distinct cultures, values and practices as observed in other studies [25,27,28]. While recovery is now central to MH treatment, the lack of appreciation for peer expertise among health professionals reported in our study is frequently mentioned in the literature [19,20], as is the problem of staff turnover [52][53][54] and insufficient involvement in Table 3 Box quotations (Continued) intervention team-MG11123)…”

“…In terms of health outcomes, patient symptoms decreased for the three intervention types [25,26,36]. Although few studies have investigated patient satisfaction [23,39,40] or quality of life [19], results tend to be positive.…”

Peer Support in Coordination of Physical Health and Mental Health Services for People With Lived Experience of a Serious Mental Illness

“…In the past few decades, peer support was predominantly available only in peer-run organizations and self-help groups, but peer support services are now being offered as group programs or one-to-one services integrated within inpatient, outpatient, and community-based clinical settings across the globe (7). Our results show that peer support specialists have physical health and mental health coordination capacity.…”

“…Peer support services located in mental health settings are based on principles of respect, shared responsibility, and mutual agreement on what is helpful between the peer support specialist and a person with SMI (7). A peer support specialist has lived experience and is trained and accredited to provide emotional, social, and recovery support to individuals with similar mental health conditions (8).…”

“…Peer support specialists have been shown to help individuals with SMI to improve their self-management skills and to improve access to primary care (4). Peer support specialists are also being hired into traditional positions in mental health service organizations as members of integrated physical health and psychiatric teams (7,16). While peer support has been associated with a variety of benefits, little is known about how peer support services can facilitate the coordination of physical health and mental health services for individuals with SMI.…”