Mental Health Review Journal, 20(1), 2015, pp.48-64.
Publisher:
Emerald
Purpose: This paper aims to systematically identify, appraise and synthesise qualitative research into how working as a peer support worker (PSW) affects personal recovery.
Design/methodology/approach: Ten articles were identified through a systematic search of seven databases, grey literature, reference lists, citations and contact with authors in the field. Identified articles were critically to personal recovery, with most explicit connection between the PSW role and personal recovery being the increased knowledge of about mental health and recovery.
Research limitations/implications: The review found that the quality of existing studies varies widely and identified the potential to significantly improve the quality of the research in this field. Further, high-quality research is required to specifically investigate the effects of employment as a PSW on personal recovery.
Practical implications: The findings are tentative in light of the quality of the studies, but should be considered in the employment, training and ongoing support of PSWs and the services they join.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Purpose: This paper aims to systematically identify, appraise and synthesise qualitative research into how working as a peer support worker (PSW) affects personal recovery.
Design/methodology/approach: Ten articles were identified through a systematic search of seven databases, grey literature, reference lists, citations and contact with authors in the field. Identified articles were critically appraised and their results synthesised using metaethnography.
Findings: Four categories were constructed to synthesise the findings of the reviewed studies: increased knowledge about their own mental health, sense of identity, position within a professional team, and the impact of employment. The findings demonstrated that being a PSW has the potential to be both facilitative of and detrimental to personal recovery, with most explicit connection between the PSW role and personal recovery being the increased knowledge of about mental health and recovery.
Research limitations/implications: The review found that the quality of existing studies varies widely and identified the potential to significantly improve the quality of the research in this field. Further, high-quality research is required to specifically investigate the effects of employment as a PSW on personal recovery.
Practical implications: The findings are tentative in light of the quality of the studies, but should be considered in the employment, training and ongoing support of PSWs and the services they join.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
employment, peer support, support workers, mental health problems, recovery, service users;