Mental health peer support relationship: a realist informed qualitative meta synthesis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To understand how key relational factors lead to observed outcomes in mental health peer support.

Design

This realist-informed qualitative review synthesised findings from 18 studies to develop programme theory relating to interpersonal contexts, linked outcomes and underlying mechanisms of change of mental health peer support.

Data sources

Four databases were searched: PsycINFO, Embase, Medline, CINAHL.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

All studies were evaluated for relevance and rigour for development of programme theory.

Data extraction and synthesis

Qualitative data were extracted from 20 studies. A realist-informed synthesis identified repeating themes with context-mechanism-outcome configurations.

Results

This identified

SUBMITTER: Hackmann C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12766804 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature