The mechanisms underpinning peer support: a literature review

Abstract

The identified mechanisms can underpin both the success and difficulties associated with peer support relationships. Further research should review a broader range of literature and clarify how these mechanisms contribute to peer support in different contexts.

‘It depends what you mean by leadership’: An analysis of stakeholder perspectives on consumer leadership

“…; Vandewalle et al . ; Watson ). Thus, if consumer leadership is to be uniquely defined, consideration of the process of consumer leadership may be required to differentiate consumer leadership from other forms of leadership or consumer involvement.…”

Knowledge and expertise in care practices: the role of the peer worker in mental health teams

“…PW can be equipped with the linguistic skills to enter both worlds and as such occupy a liminal space, and can thereby effectively bridge gaps in understanding between mental health professionals and the people they care for (Simpson et al . , Watson ).…”

“…Instead, these can be relational knowledge bases that may be bridged by a tacit knowledge of mental health treatment and care uniquely held by PW who have lived experience and are both recipients and providers of care. PW can be equipped with the linguistic skills to enter both worlds and as such occupy a liminal space, and can thereby effectively bridge gaps in understanding between mental health professionals and the people they care for (Simpson et al 2017, Watson 2017.…”

Peer support in mental health services: where is the research taking us, and do we want to go there?

“…Trauma-informed approaches to peer support focus on what people have experienced in their wider life, rather than what might be 'wrong with them' as an individual (Blanch, Filson, Penney, & Cave, 2012), and in Intentional Peer Support both parties are 'invited to learn and grow', rather than one helping the other, with a focus on relationship and community rather than individual change alone (Mead & Filson, 2017). Furthermore, research exploring the mechanisms of peer support (Watson, 2017) tells us that people value peer support because of the opportunity it provides for normalizing, nontreatment-based relationships (Gigudu et al, 2015) and that, through those relationships, peer support works to strengthen wider connections to community (Gillard, Gibson, Holley, & Lucock, 2015a).…”