This article reviews the history and potential effectiveness of peer support among persons with severe mental illness. Following a historical overview, we describe the three primary forms of peer support that have been developed t o date by and for this population, and examine the existing empirical evidence of the feasibility, effectiveness, and utilization of each of these approaches in contributing t o the recovery of individuals with psychiatric disabiliies. These three forms are (1) naturally occumng mutual support groups, (2) consumer-run senices, 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 larger social networkr, and enhance quality of life. This research is largely from uncontrolled studies, however, and will need t o be evaluated further using prospective, controlled designs. Consumer-run services and the use of consumers as providers promise t o broaden the access of individuals with psychiatric disabilities t o peer support, but research on these more recent developments is only preliminary and largely limited t o demonstrations of their 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.

this study examined the relation of coping strategies, social support, and hope to psychological distress [symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PtSd) and general distress] among hurricane Katrina survivors. the research questions concerned whether different coping strategies (problem-focused or avoidant coping), perceptions of social support, and hope were associated with psychological distress within this sample, as well as whether level of hope moderated the relations between coping/social support and psychological distress. Results indicate that avoidant coping was positively related to PtSd symptoms and general psychological distress, hope was negatively associated with PtSd symptoms and general psychological distress, problem-focused coping was associated with many PtSd symptoms, and social support was associated with low general psychological distress. hope moderated the relation between avoidant coping and general psychological distress. these results are important for extending research on various this research was supported by the national science Foundation-0554924 and the national institute of mental health-K23mh65439. we would like to acknowledge the assistance of m. lee vanhorn in providing feedback on this manuscript.

Sense of community (SOC) is one of the most widely used and studied constructs in community psychology. As proposed by Sarason in (The Psychological sense of community: prospects for a community psychology, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1974), SOC represents the strength of bonding among community members. It is a valuable component of community life, and it has been linked to positive mental health outcomes, citizen participation, and community connectedness. However, promotion of SOC can become problematic in community psychology praxis when it conflicts with other core values proposed to define the field, namely values of human diversity, cultural relativity, and heterogeneity of experience and perspective. Several commentators have noted that promotion of SOC can conflict with multicultural diversity because it tends to emphasize group member similarity and appears to be higher in homogeneous communities. In this paper, we introduce the idea of a community-diversity dialectic as part of praxis and research in community psychology. We argue that systematic consideration of cultural psychology perspectives can guide efforts to address a community-diversity dialectic and revise SOC formulations that ultimately will invigorate community research and action. We provide a working agenda for addressing this dialectic, proposing that systematic consideration of the creative tension between SOC and diversity can be beneficial to community psychology.

This study examines the effects of perceived housing environment on selected well-being outcomes of a seriously mentally ill population in supported housing programs. Individuals live independently in their own apartments and use supportive mental health services as needed. The study conceptualizes one's housing environment as existing at the apartment, neighborhood and the surrounding community levels of analysis that, taken together, form a multi-dimensional construct of housing environment. Self-report data from interviews with a sample of seriously mentally ill adults is paired with (a) observer ratings of housing environments, (b) census profiles of the surrounding community and (c) case manager ratings of clients' functioning in order to explore the effects of supported housing environments on well-being outcomes. Well-being is operationalized here as levels of psychiatric distress, recovery orientation, residential satisfaction, and adaptive functioning. Hierarchical regression models posit that apartment, neighborhood and census tract level variables are unique predictors of these domains of well-being. Results show that neighborhood level variables, especially those relating to the social environment, are the most influential predictors for understanding variance in well-being, with apartment level variables also contributing to understanding of housing environment effects. The census tract level predictors did not contribute a significant amount of explanation of the variance in well-being outcomes. Implications for supported housing programs and the role of ecological levels of analysis in conceptualizing and measuring housing environment influence are discussed.

The present study examined survivors' use and misuse of cigarettes and alcohol following Hurricane Katrina. We also examined several psychosocial factors that we expected would be associated with higher or lower rates of substance use following the Hurricane. Participants were 209 adult survivors of Hurricane Katrina interviewed in Columbia, SC or New Orleans, LA between October 31, 2005 and May 13, 2006. Results revealed that survivors were smoking cigarettes, consuming alcohol, and experiencing alcohol-related problems at a substantially higher rate than expected based on preHurricane prevalence data. Results also suggested that certain psychosocial factors were associated with participants' substance use and misuse following the Hurricane.