A reflection on the development and delivery of a community peer support service for clients experiencing anxiety and depression

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the development, implementation, delivery and evolution of a community-led, comprehensive, peer support service, including co-production approaches, peer support worker role development, outcomes, acceptability and lessons learnt over a five-year timeframe. Design/methodology/approach This case study presents a reflection on a charity’s peer support service development along with outcomes to highlight client progress. Findings Improvement in well-being as measured through the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) was evidenced along with demonstrating that the peer support service offers complementary support to Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services. Research limitations/implications There was limited quantitative data, and that which existed was analysed on a service-wide basis as opposed to looking at individual components of the service. Practical implications This paper demonstrates the value of peer support provision as part of an overall primary care, community-based mental health service, including findings that suggest that for some individuals, where IAPT services did not help them as much, a peer-based service appeared to be more suitable. Social implications The peer support service provided a complementary and alternative service to conventional primary care mental health services whilst offering individuals with lived experience to gain volunteering, employment and development opportunities. Originality/value Whilst peer support services have been well documented in the literature for clients experiencing serious mental illness, research on the use of such approaches in the management of common mental health difficulties including anxiety and depression is not as well established. The aim of this paper is to detail the experiences of a user-led charity in developing and delivering peer support services, including challenges encountered. Furthermore, this paper describes a peer support service that has been integrated with a co-existing low intensity IAPT service, reporting recovery rates for clients that have accessed both peer support and IAPT services.