TY - JOUR
T1 - A multi-national peer support intervention
T2 - the UPSIDES pilot phase
AU - Nixdorf, Rebecca
AU - Nugent, Lena
AU - Aslam, Rabeea’h
AU - Barber, Sarah
AU - Charles, Ashleigh
AU - Gai Meir, Lion
AU - Grayzman, Alina
AU - Hiltensperger, Ramona
AU - Kalha, Jasmine
AU - Korde, Palak
AU - Mtei, Rachel
AU - Niwemuhwezi, Jackie
AU - Ramesh, Mary
AU - Ryan, Grace
AU - Slade, Mike
AU - Wenzel, Lisa
AU - Mahlke, Candelaria
N1 - Funding Information:
UPSIDES has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme [grant number 779263]. This publication reflects only the authors’ views. The Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. The study Using Peer Support In Developing Empowering Mental Health Services (UPSIDES) is a multicentre collaboration between the Department for Psychiatry II at Ulm University, Germany (Bernd Puschner, coordinator); the Institute of Mental Health at University of Nottingham, UK (Mike Slade); the Department of Psychiatry at University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany (Candelaria Mahlke); Butabika National Referral Hospital, Uganda (Juliet Nakku); the Centre for Global Mental Health at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK (Grace Ryan); Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (Donat Shamba); the Department of Social Work at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel (Galia Moran); and the Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, Pune, India (Jasmine Kalha).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2022/1/1
Y1 - 2022/1/1
N2 - Objective: Using Peer Support in Developing Empowering Mental Health Services (UPSIDES) is evaluating implementation of a peer support worker (PSW) intervention at six recruiting sites (Germany, India, Israel, Tanzania, and Uganda) (ISRCTN26008944). The aim of this study is to evaluate the pre-trial pilot phase. Method: The initial training to prepare individuals for the PSW role and the implementation of the peer support (PS) intervention was evaluated using a multi-method design comprising six focus groups (FG; n = 22) and questionnaires capturing the perspectives of service users, PSWs, peer trainers, and mental health staff members (n = 21). Results: Findings were organised across eleven key implementation themes: organisational culture, PSW training, PSW role definition, staff willingness and ability to work with PSWs, resource availability, financial arrangements, support for PSW well-being, PSW access to a peer network, acceptance, preparation, and other challenges. Discussion: The following recommendations are made, based on this pilot phase: the PS training should train on practical skills using role-playing exercises; PSWs should work in teams, including role reflection with colleagues (intervision) or with a highly experienced coach (supervision); necessary resources and tools for networking should be provided; and continuous awareness-raising about PS is needed.
AB - Objective: Using Peer Support in Developing Empowering Mental Health Services (UPSIDES) is evaluating implementation of a peer support worker (PSW) intervention at six recruiting sites (Germany, India, Israel, Tanzania, and Uganda) (ISRCTN26008944). The aim of this study is to evaluate the pre-trial pilot phase. Method: The initial training to prepare individuals for the PSW role and the implementation of the peer support (PS) intervention was evaluated using a multi-method design comprising six focus groups (FG; n = 22) and questionnaires capturing the perspectives of service users, PSWs, peer trainers, and mental health staff members (n = 21). Results: Findings were organised across eleven key implementation themes: organisational culture, PSW training, PSW role definition, staff willingness and ability to work with PSWs, resource availability, financial arrangements, support for PSW well-being, PSW access to a peer network, acceptance, preparation, and other challenges. Discussion: The following recommendations are made, based on this pilot phase: the PS training should train on practical skills using role-playing exercises; PSWs should work in teams, including role reflection with colleagues (intervision) or with a highly experienced coach (supervision); necessary resources and tools for networking should be provided; and continuous awareness-raising about PS is needed.
KW - Peer support
KW - empowerment
KW - global mental health
KW - implementation
KW - pilot phase
KW - recovery
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85122463286&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/18387357.2021.2020140
DO - 10.1080/18387357.2021.2020140
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85122463286
VL - 20
SP - 2
EP - 14
JO - Advances in Mental Health
JF - Advances in Mental Health
SN - 1838-7357
IS - 1
ER -
