Exploring the experiences of mental health peer support workers: interactions with colleagues and managing wellbeing

Abstract

Peer support has become increasingly common within the mental health field, with literature demonstrating that this can be beneficial to both those receiving peer support, as well as to those providing it, often termed Peer Support Workers (PSWs).

The first chapter of this thesis is a systematic review synthesising the qualitative evidence exploring PSWs’ experiences and perceptions of their non-peer colleagues. Thematic Synthesis was used to synthesise the findings of the nineteen included studies. Five themes were identified: ‘Adverse Experiences’, ‘Feeling Valued, Welcomed and Supported’, ‘Providing a Unique Perspective’, ‘Influence of Systemic Factors’ and ‘Easier Over Time’. The review highlighted the mixed experiences that PSWs have with their colleagues and highlighted the need for further research in this area. Clinical implications for services employing PSWs were provided.

The second chapter of this thesis reports on an empirical study exploring how PSWs manage their wellbeing at work. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve PSWs, with Thematic Analysis used to analyse the data. Four superordinate themes were identified, each containing a number of sub-ordinate themes: ‘A Double Edged Sword’, ‘Structure, like any other profession’, ‘Culture’ and ‘Self-Care’. Clinical implications and suggestions for further research were discussed.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Emma Palmer-Cooper: orcid.org/0000-0002-5416-1518

ORCID for Peter Lawrence: orcid.org/0000-0001-6181-433X

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