Peer support – the what, why, who, how and now
The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice
ISSN: 1755-6228
Article publication date: 2 November 2015
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to outline what peer support is, covering its history, variations and benefits, then goes on to discuss what the challenges have been to authenticity and what the future holds for peer support.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors argue for the necessity of service user leadership in peer support based on both the Service User Involvement Directorate’s (SUID’s) experience and UK-wide learning.
Findings
Peer support brings wellbeing and confidence benefits both to the supporter and the supported. However, the lack of understanding of what peer support is, the current climate of austerity and over-professionalisation can threaten the transformational power of genuine peer support.
Research limitations/implications
Peer support is always evolving, and there are areas like the criminal justice service and secure services where more work needs to be done.
Practical implications
Commissioners/funders of mental health services should recognise the value of peer support and its potential for better wellbeing outcomes, while understanding the necessity of service user leadership to maximise its beneficial potential.
Originality/value
The paper looks at peer support at the point in time a decade after the formation of the SUID at Together and four years since the UK mental health strategy No Health Without Mental Health (Department of Health, 2011) and explores the challenges faced at a time when the value of peer support is generally accepted in legislation.
Keywords
Citation
Beales, A. and Wilson, J. (2015), "Peer support – the what, why, who, how and now", The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, Vol. 10 No. 5, pp. 314-324. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-03-2015-0013
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited