Peer support among individuals with severe mental illness: A review of theevidence

This article reviews the history and potential effectiveness of peer suppor t among persons with severe mental illness. Following a historical overview , we describe the three primary forms of peer support that have been develo ped to date by and for this population, and examine the existing empirical evidence of the feasibility, effectiveness, and utilization of each of thes e approaches in contributing to the recovery of individuals with psychiatri c disabilities. These three forms are (1) naturally occurring mutual suppor t groups, (2) consumer-run services, and (3) the employment of consumers as providers within clinical and rehabilitative settings. Existing studies of mutual support groups suggest that they may improve symptoms, promote larg er social networks, and enhance quality of life. This research is largely f rom uncontrolled studies, however, and will need to be evaluated further us ing prospective, controlled designs. Consumer-run services and the use of c onsumers as providers promise to broaden the access of individuals with psy chiatric disabilities to peer support, but research on these more recent de velopments is only preliminary and largely limited to demonstrations of the ir feasibility. We discuss issues entailed in participating in peer support for this population, and then close with a discussion of the implications for future policy, research, and practice.