Mental health first aid and exciting opportunities for peer-support networks within universities with prospects of influencing public health and treatment

Examining the experiences of student peer support workers delivering care within post-secondary institutions

Objective: Despite experiencing exacerbation of mental health issues, post-secondary students may not seek help due to perceived stigma, overreliance on the self, or preference for nonprofessional supports - including peer support. This study aimed to understand peer support workers' (PSWs) perspectives regarding providing support for mental health concerns in post-secondary institutions. Methods: 41 PSWs were recruited from two post-secondary institutions. 17 semi-structured interviews and three focus groups were conducted. Themes were identified using a qualitative descriptive approach. Results: Three themes emerged: (1) diverse presentations and approaches to operationalizing peer support for mental health issues on campus exist; (2) peer support has core ingredients; (3) reasons why students access peer support extend beyond mental health crisis. Conclusions: An inclusive peer support approach to mental health is needed for post-secondary students. Considerations for implementation hinge on providing standardized, foundational training to prepare PSWs for the complex mental health issues that present across services.

A systematic scoping review of peer support interventions in integrated primary youth mental health care

Peer support, defined as the social and emotional support offered and received by individuals with a shared experience of mental health difficulties, is gaining popularity in youth mental health settings. This systematic scoping review aimed to collate and synthesise the evidence on key aspects of peer support interventions within integrated youth services and educational settings. Specifically, it synthesised evidence on the (1) assessed mental health outcomes in peer support interventions, (2) key characteristics and associated roles of peer support workers (PSWs) and (3) barriers and facilitators to implementation. A search of peer reviewed articles from January 2005 to June 2022 across five electronic databases (PsychINFO, Pubmed, Scopus, ERIC and CINAHL) was conducted. A total of 15 studies retrieved in the search met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. This review supports previous research indicating that peer support has potential for improving recovery related outcomes. While a variety of interventions and PSW roles were reported, studies could be strengthened by providing more in-depth information on intervention content. Examples of barriers to implementation included staff concerns around confidentiality of peer support relationships as well as PSWs' confidence in their roles. Facilitators included positive support from staff members and role clarity.

Implementing peer support in higher education: A feasibility study

Background

When experiencing mental distress, many university students seek support from their peers. In schools and mental health services, formalised peer support interventions have demonstrated some success but implementation challenges have been reported. This study aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability and safety of a novel manualized peer support intervention and associated data collection processes.

Methods

A longitudinal mixed methods study was conducted following the pilot of a peer support intervention at a large London university between June 2021 and May 2022. The study utilised data routinely recorded on all students who booked a peer support session, focus groups with nine peer workers and five staff members implementing the intervention, pre-post intervention surveys with 13 students and qualitative interviews with 10 of those students.

Results

169 bookings were made during the pilot, of which 130 (77%) were attended, with November the peak month. Staff and peer workers described strong motivation and commitment to implement the intervention, noting that the peer support model and peer worker role addressed previously unmet needs at the university. However, students described implementation problems relating to the coherence of the intervention and the burden of participation. While students mostly described acceptable experiences, there were examples where acceptability was lower. No adverse events were reported during the pilot.

Conclusion

The training and supervision of peer workers, and the provision of one-to-one peer support to students was found to be feasible, mostly acceptable, and safe. However, sustained implementation difficulties were observed. These pose challenges to the scalability of peer support in universities. We make recommendations to improve implementation of peer support including improving reach, greater clarity about the intervention, and fuller involvement of students throughout.

Development of Evidence-Based Rehabilitation Practice in Botanical Garden for People With Mental Health Disorders

AIM

This article aims to make clearer, with supporting evidence, the clinical benefits of the nature-based rehabilitation program (NBRP) and the restorative values of visiting botanical garden for people with stress-related mental disorders.

BACKGROUND

Throughout the years, nature-based therapy has been acknowledged as a valuable rehabilitation practice that integrates specially designed natural environments and nature-related activities for people with mental health conditions.

SUBJECT AND METHODS

The comparative analyses of parallel conducted the NBRP at botanical garden and occupational therapy realised at the Day Hospital of the Institute of Mental Health in Belgrade included 27 participants divided into two groups. The data collection employed a mixed method combining a Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Scale and on-site observations.

RESULTS

The positive findings on the psychological recovery of the participants seem to be related to NBRP. The restorative potential of the garden was recognized through the observed interaction between participants and the natural entities employed through the various themed activities. The observed landscape elements especially solitary plant specimens or tall and single-form trees within the garden can be embraced as design guidelines for the development of an evidence-based practice that can support the recovery process of people with mental health conditions.

CONCLUSION

Our findings endorse that ongoing social development and progressive urbanization have broadened the interest in scientific research involving nature-based solutions that help preserve the physical and mental health of people in low- and middle-income Western Balkan countries with a high prevalence of mental disorders in the urban environment that relates to social inequalities and natural disasters.