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“I Think Peer Support Helps to Demystify People Who Have Mental Health Issues and Helps to Remove That Stigma”: Exploring the Defining Characteristics and Related Challenges of Youth Peer Support Through Participatory Research

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Abstract

Despite the emerging body of literature on the benefits of youth peer support, there is also evidence that peer support can have unintended negative impacts on peers themselves. It is important to explore what aspects of the peer role contribute to these difficulties in order to mitigate risks. This paper uses a participatory approach to examine the unique attributes of youth peer practice and the related challenges. We conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with both peer and non-peer staff from a community-based youth mental health program that provides peer support services (N = 29). Thematic analyses were completed using QSR NVivo. Analyses capture the defining features and related challenges of the peer support role (self-disclosure, boundaries, role confusion and dynamic recovery), and risk factors that affect peers (stigma, exposure to harm and burnout). This paper contributes to the literature on peer support as well as youth participatory evaluation. The findings will be useful to support the development of improved organizational contexts for peer practice and more effective peer support programming.

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Funding

This project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC; award # 892-2018-3059).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal, 1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON, K1Z 7K4, Canada

    Tanya Halsall & Kimberly Matheson

  2. Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada

    Tanya Halsall & Kimberly Matheson

  3. LOFT Community Services, 721 Bloor St. W Suite 301, Toronto, ON, M6G 1L5, Canada

    Mardi Daley & Anne Wilson

  4. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 1000 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M6J 1H4, Canada

    Lisa D. Hawke & Jo Henderson

  5. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1L8, Canada

    Lisa D. Hawke & Jo Henderson

Authors
  1. Tanya Halsall
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  2. Mardi Daley
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  3. Lisa D. Hawke
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  4. Jo Henderson
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  5. Anne Wilson
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  6. Kimberly Matheson
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Contributions

TH was responsible for the conception and design of the work, data collection, analysis, drafted and revised the manuscript, and approved the final submitted version. MD made substantial contributions to the design of the work, data collection, analysis, substantively revised the manuscript and approved the final submitted version. LH, AW and JH substantively revised the manuscript and approved the final submitted version. KM made substantial contributions to the design of the work, substantively revised the manuscript and approved the final submitted version. All authors have read and approved the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tanya Halsall.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical Approval

This study protocol has been approved by the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group Research Ethics Board.

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Informed consent was received from all participants. All procedures were performed in accordance with relevant guidelines.

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Halsall, T., Daley, M., Hawke, L.D. et al. “I Think Peer Support Helps to Demystify People Who Have Mental Health Issues and Helps to Remove That Stigma”: Exploring the Defining Characteristics and Related Challenges of Youth Peer Support Through Participatory Research. Community Ment Health J 60, 784–795 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-024-01235-0

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