Understanding paid peer support in mental health

Abstract

This study aimed to explore, articulate and expand on existing concepts of recovery and paid peer support within consumer-operated mental health organizations. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 32 participants to identify elements of paid peer support work in two organizations in Queensland, Australia. Participants included peer-supported consumers, paid peer support workers, managers and other key stakeholders. Through a grounded theory analysis, eight categories of paid peer support were identified. For the most part, the categories aligned well with evidence in the literature. However, two of these categories, issues of power and the ‘dark side’ of peer support, have been relatively unexplored and understated in previous studies. These findings provide an expanded understanding of the role of paid peer support as part of the recovery process in mental health service delivery. The effective use of paid peer support workers can be enhanced through attention to the issues identified.

Keywords:

• Paid peer support
• mental health
• recovery
• consumer-operated organizations
• grounded theory

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge Michelle Crozier and Helena Roennfeldt for their assistance, and also acknowledge the support and guidance from members of the Reference Group for this study.

Notes

1. The term ‘the dark side’ has been made popular by the Star Wars film franchise and it is used in that sense here.