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Participants’ employment status and experiences in the year after the Experienced Involvement training

Author

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  • Anna Hegedüs
  • Elena Seidel
  • Regine Steinauer

Abstract

Background: Peer support workers (PSWs) are an emerging workforce within the Swiss mental health system. The ‘Experienced Involvement’ (EX-IN) training programmes prepare and certify individuals who have experienced mental health problems to work as PSWs. Aims: This study examined the influence of EX-IN training on participants’ employment status and their experiences in the year after training. Method: We employed quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were collected at baseline, immediately after completion and at 1 year post-training. Additionally, individual narrative interviews were conducted with 10 participants at 1 year post-training. Results: At 1 year of completion, the majority of participants were in paid employment. Difficulties included unclear PSW roles. The qualitative analyses revealed the following categories: ‘Evolving from the patient role despite experiencing effects or consequences of mental illness’, ‘Feeling welcome and being confronted with conflicting expectations’, ‘Helping others while being needy at the same time’ and ‘Doing something worthwhile and the fear of failure’. Conclusion: Clear role descriptions, well-defined expectations, team preparation, acknowledgement of vulnerabilities and institution-level support PSWs are important to safeguard both PSWs and service users by minimising the destabilisation risk. Future EX-IN training graduates can benefit from the establishment of remunerated PSW roles in psychiatric services.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Hegedüs & Elena Seidel & Regine Steinauer, 2016. "Participants’ employment status and experiences in the year after the Experienced Involvement training," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 62(3), pages 214-220, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:62:y:2016:i:3:p:214-220
    DOI: 10.1177/0020764015623969
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Samson Tse & Emily Wing See Tsoi & Stephen Wong & Alice Kan & Caroline Fei-Yeng Kwok, 2014. "Training of mental health peer support workers in a non-western high-income city: Preliminary evaluation and experience," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 60(3), pages 211-218, May.
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