BACKGROUND/RATIONALE: Serious mental illness (SMI) is the second most
costly medical disorder treated in the VHA. Despite these expenditures,
clinical outcomes for these patients are often poor due to a combination
of low quality care and severe cognitive and functional impairments.
While these problems are multifaceted, studies outside the VHA have
shown that the use of different types of peer support-those with SMI
in recovery providing assistance and role modeling to other with SMI-can
often improve and augment public care. This is because peer support
addresses factors that contribute to poor outcomes at the patient level.
They reduce social isolation and also facilitate patient involvement
in the community-based service and supports. They also address outcomes
at the system level by increasing patient access and moving services
toward a recovery orientation. However, despite the presence of some
empirical evidence, a thorough and concise systematic review of peer
support is a critical first step in understanding more fully both its
history and its future promise for the VHA.
OBJECTIVE(S): To review the evidence base for peer support to determine
which types
show the most promise, and are appropriate for broader dissemination
and evaluation.
STATUS: To begin in October 2006