Introducing peer worker roles into UK mental health service teams: a qualitative analysis of the organisational benefits and challenges.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The provision of peer support as a component of mental health care, including the employment of Peer Workers (consumer-providers) by mental health service organisations, is increasingly common internationally. Peer support is strongly advocated as a strategy in a number of UK health and social care policies. Approaches to employing Peer Workers are proliferating. There is evidence to suggest that Peer Worker-based interventions reduce psychiatric inpatient admission and increase service user (consumer) empowerment. In this paper we seek to address a gap in the empirical literature in understanding the organisational challenges and benefits of introducing Peer Worker roles into mental health service teams.

Methods

We report the secondary analysis of qualitative int

SUBMITTER: Gillard SG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3673834 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature