Peer support for schizophrenia

Peer‐based interventions targeting suicide prevention: A scoping review

“…To identify candidate articles, the authors developed search terms with a shared focus on peers and suicide prevention based on terms used in previous literature reviews on these topics. Articles were selected based on the intersection of search terms related to “peers,” “suicide,” and “crisis.” Search terms used to identify articles related to peer‐based interventions (“peer”) were based on a combination of search terms used in prior peer support meta‐analyses (Bryan & Arkowitz, 2015; Chien et al., 2013; Fuhr, et al., 2014; O'Connor & Delaney, 2007; Pfeiffer et al., 2011) and included “peer,” “peer group,” “self‐help group,” “support group,” “mutual,” “peer support,” “paraprofessional,” “social support,” “network,” “advice,” “counsel,” and associated combinations. Search terms for “suicide” were based on those included in a recent systematic review of suicide prevention (Zalsman et al., 2016) which included “suicide,” as well as the subheadings “suicide, attempted,” and “prevention and control.” Terms representing “crisis” were also included because this term has been used in the literature to encompass suicidal periods of intense distress (Dalgin et al., 2011; Gilat et al., 2011; Greenfield et al., 2008; Migdole et al., 2011), the specific terms used were “crisis,” “crisis intervention,” crisis services,” “emergency services, psychiatric,” “crisis intervention services,” “crisis intervention/methods,” “crisis intervention/organization and administration,” and “hospitals, psychiatric.”…”

“…Articles were selected based on the intersection of search terms related to "peers," "suicide," and "crisis." Search terms used to identify articles related to peer-based interventions ("peer") were based on a combination of search terms used in prior peer support metaanalyses (Bryan & Arkowitz, 2015;Chien et al, 2013;Fuhr, et al, 2014;O'Connor & Delaney, 2007;Pfeiffer et al, 2011) and included "peer," "peer group," "self-help group," "support group," "mutual," "peer support," "paraprofessional," "social support," "network," "advice," "counsel," and associated combinations. Search terms for "suicide" were based on those included in a recent systematic review of suicide prevention (Zalsman et al, 2016) which included "suicide," as well as the subheadings "suicide, attempted," and "prevention and control."…”

Implementing the figure of peer support workers in mental health: an international perspective from the context of its implementation in Catalonia

“…A nivel científico, la supuesta escasez de evidencia empírica que respalde la efectividad y eficacia del apoyo entre iguales es uno de los argumentos principales de las personas que no apoyan su implementación. Sin embargo, existen un total de nueve trabajos de revisión y síntesis cuantitativa (38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46) , si bien es cierto que seis de ellos han sido publicados desde 2019. Las aproximaciones de estos trabajos (por ejemplo, comparaciones con otras profesionales, como gestores de casos, o entre añadir o no añadir la figura) y las variables que abordan, clasificadas frecuentemente en torno a la sintomatología, el uso de servicios o la subjetividad (recuperación, esperanza y empoderamiento) son muy distintas.…”

“…Las recomendaciones varían entre las críticas feroces a la implementación del apoyo entre iguales profesionalizado sin que exista una evidencia clara (40,45) , la neutralidad (38,42) y un cauto apoyo (39,41,43,44) , con la notable excepción del metaanálisis más reciente, de mayor calidad y que incluye más estudios cuyas conclusiones apoyan, sin más matices que la apuesta por estudios de más calidad (coletilla omnipresente en prácticamente cualquier metaanálisis de intervenciones psicosociales), la implementación de la figura (46) . La conclusión más extendida en todos estos estudios es que el apoyo entre iguales solo tendría efecto sobre variables de recuperación, esperanza y empoderamiento, pero no de sintomatología, uso de servicios o salud física (39,40,41,42,44,45) con la excepción de uso de servicios de emergencia (38) y sintomatología depresiva (43) . Este argumento habría sido refutado por el trabajo más reciente, publicado en septiembre de 2022, que confirma la eficacia en términos tanto de sintomatología como de recuperación, esperanza y empoderamiento, aunque no funcionalidad (46) .…”

Crisis resolution teams for people experiencing mental health crises: the CORE mixed-methods research programme including two RCTs

“…97,98 However, existing evidence for the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of peer-support programmes is still inconclusive, and further trials of clearly defined interventions are needed. 99 To our knowledge, there have been no evaluations of peer-facilitated, self-management interventions for people leaving CRT care. In the study's initial consultations with service users and carers, clinicians and trial methodologists in preparation of this proposal, PSWs emerged as the preferred choice for delivery of the self-management intervention.…”