Peer support workers’ role and expertise and interprofessional learning in mental health care: a scoping review

ABSTRACT

Interprofessional learning (IPL), which is learning arising from the interaction between representatives of two or more professions, has not been studied extensively in relation to peer support workers (PSWs) in mental health care teams. PSWs support others who face challenges with their own experience of similar challenges of mental health problems. The role of PSWs has been studied in mental health care interprofessional teams. However, researchers have not paid attention to IPL where the PSWs contribute their knowledge. This paper is a scoping review that aims to highlight existing knowledge of the PSW role and expertise in IPL in the context of mental health care. The findings show knowledge of (a) the key factors and challenges when interprofessional teams include the PSW role, (b) the legitimacy of the PSWs’ role and expertise, and (c) the benefits of the PSW role. A knowledge gap was identified of teams’ use of PSWs’ expertise and its implications for IPL.

KEYWORDS:

• Scoping review
• interprofessional learning
• interprofessional teamwork
• peer support worker
• expertise

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interests. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

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Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

T. Viking

T. Viking is a PhD student in Education with specialization in work-integrated learning at University West, Sweden. Her research area is IPL in teamwork.

J. Wenzer

J. Wenzer holds a PhD in ethnology at Gothenburg University, Sweden. His research has concerned human consumption, but also peer participation in psychiatry.

U. Hylin

U. Hylin, M.D., PhD in medical science at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. His research is about IPL and interprofessional education (IPE) at hospital wards.

L. Nilsson

L. Nilsson, PhD is Associate Professor in Education at University West, Sweden. Her research area is health promotion development at work and work-integrated learning.