Understanding Service Users' Experience of Peer Support
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An Interpretative Phenomenological Approach to Understanding Service Users’ Experience of Peer Support
IRAS ID
306359
Contact name
Pauline Adair
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen's University, Belfast
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 29 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD) are severe mental health conditions that include marked difficulties with emotion regulation and interpersonal relationships. Peer support has been recommended for inclusion in recovery-oriented treatments for BPD/EUPD and the NHS is increasing its peer support workforce by 4000 before 2024. However, only 1 previous study has looked at this population’s perspectives on experiencing peer support and that study focused on creating a model of peer support. The current study aims to use interpretative phenomenological analysis of interviews with current BPD/EUPD service users to investigate their lived experience of receiving peer support as part of their treatment. In addition, this research will investigate the change mechanisms involved and look at whether the peer support competency framework that has been developed is applicable to service users’ experiences of peer support.Summary of Results
Peer support has been recommended within recovery-oriented treatments for people diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). So far the research on peer support has lacked involvement from service users with a diagnosis of BPD.
This study explored the experiences of services users who have had peer support from a peer support worker (PSW). The study also looked at whether these experiences matched with elements of the existing Competence Framework for Mental Health Peer Support Workers (NHS, 2020).
The Competence Framework for MH PSWs - Part 2 - Full listing of the competences.pdf (hee.nhs.uk)Seven participants took part in the interviews. From your stories, I was able to bring together similar themes such as : 1) Journey To and Through Services, 2) The Right Care from the Right People and 3) Power of Community. Results also found that the main elements of the competency framework were found within participants’ experience.
In conducting the interviews and analysis it was clear how important it was for participants to discuss their journey to diagnosis as well as their experience of support from the PSW. There is a narrative of journeys initially marred by negative experiences but ending with a community of peers and support in DBT. Through the PSW working as an advocate, a role model and lived experience peer, participants found positive experiences of validation, hope for the future and connection that had been missing throughout their journeys until that point. There were key roles for the PSW as a roadmap, showing participants a representation of future possibilities. The PSW also had a dual role within the DBT team as both lived experience peer and DBT service professional that provided authenticity and trust to the process of DBT. Finally, in relation to the PSW, participants reported that they felt it was more than a job. The PSW went above and beyond to nurture and maintain connection and support after discharge. Participants also identified the importance of the DBT team’s committed effort and feeling of belonging and community which developed through building relationships with other participants in the treatment and support groups.REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
22/NI/0037
Date of REC Opinion
7 Apr 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion