Peer Supported Recovery: A review of the Literature

In the article entitled Pathways to Recovery (PTR): Impact of Peer-Led Group Participation on Mental Health Recovery Outcomes, the author’s observe that the manner in which the PTR is run significantly influences how the consumer will recover (Fukui, 2010, p.42). Recovery is the process that an individual goes through when they are changing the negative impact of a mental illness into a positive state of life. Recovery is influenced by the way the consumer perceives their life, because it is a highly individualized process and their cooperation with mental health professionals is affected by the individual’s perception. This study helps to show that change is possible.

According to Sadaaki Fukui, Lori J. Davidson, Mark Holter, and Charles Rapp (2010), the “study examined the positive effects on recovery outcomes for people with severe and persistent mental illness using peer-led groups based on Pathways to Recovery” (p.42). Peers provide support because they have a common understanding of the issues surrounding mental illness and the impact of recovery. The author’s looked at three of the best peer-led approaches: Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP), the Recovery Workbook, and Pathways to Recovery. The first two approaches have shown a positive impact on consumers with a mental health diagnosis. The third approach, PTR, has been used since 2002, and this study examined its outcomes.

Sadaaki Fukui, Lori J. Davidson, Mark Holter, and Charles Rapp (2010), hypothesized “that PTR peer-led group participants would experience improved outcomes in these areas;” they go explain the areas to be, “recovery outcomes of self-esteem, self-efficacy, perceived social support, spiritual well-being, and psychiatric symptoms for participants using PTR within a peer-led group” (p.43).

The methods used for the study consisted of a single group research design. The participants were divided into six consumer-run organizations (CROs), and the groups met for twelve weeks (p.44). The activities offered in PTR include actively communicating interest and concern, using words and actions to communicate empathy and respect, practicing attending skills, communicating availability, following up on requests, avoiding defensiveness, maintaining a professional manner, answering questions honestly, maintaining a positive attitude, and practicing intentional encouragement (Table 1, p.45). The facilitators were trained to use the PTR approach, provided support, and they were supervised. The individuals were pretested before the PTR group sessions began, and afterwards they received a posttest. The measurements were taken using the Rosenburg Self-Esteem scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Spirituality Index of Well-Being, the Modified Colorado Symptom Index, and Paired Hotelling’s T-square test (p.44). There were forty-seven participants in the beginning, but by the end of the study fifteen had dropped out (p.44).

Sadaaki Fukui, Lori J. Davidson, Mark Holter, and Charles Rapp (2010) report that the “Findings revealed statistically significant improvements for PTR participants in self-esteem, self-efficacy, social support, spiritual well-being, and psychiatric symptoms” (p.46). PTR encourages participants to set goals and to achieve them. It also includes activities on social support and spirituality. This type of approach seems to impact the symptoms that the consumers report. The author’s acknowledge that “It may be that the symptoms do not necessarily lessen but the consumer’s reaction to them changes” (p.47). The limitations to the study are: the sample is small, the group was only twelve weeks, it relied on self-report measures, and there was no control group (p.47).

Despite the limitations of the study, the research is promising because it encourages the consumer to actively engage in their care and personal decisions through peer support. It also shows that Recovery is an individual process, and it is influenced by the way the consumer perceives their life. Therefore, PTR arouses consumer’s hopefulness and optimism about their recovery; and reduces the likelihood that individual will feel alone through their recovery, because it provides peer-support.

                                                                 

References

Fukui, S., Davidson, L. J., Holter, M. C., & Rapp, C. A. (2010). Pathways to Recovery (PTR): Impact of Peer-Led Group Participation on Mental Health Recovery Outcomes. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 34(1), 42-48.