Peer-delivered services for individuals with psychiatric conditions have proliferated over the past three decades. The values and principles underlying peer support have been explored, but we lack an understanding of its mechanisms of action. To shed light on the processes of peer support, we conducted a study with individuals who had received substantial individual peer support. We completed individual interviews, audiotaped, transcribed, and examined them using a thematic analysis approach. Our analyses suggest that individual peer support provided various practical, emotional, and social supports which were perceived as beneficial. Participants valued having someone to rely on, a friend, and someone to socialize with. We, however, found that individuals' expectations of peer support did not always comport with available services. Participants viewed peer support as especially valuable because of the opportunity for a non-treatment based, normalizing relationship. We conclude that peer support complements rather than supplants needed traditional mental health services.

Difficulties with ensuring the quality of the peer support in this study may be in part responsible for our failure to see more-definitive and -positive results. As the peer support specialist profession evolves, an understanding of its effective ingredients and mechanisms must be elucidated to allow for more-rigorous studies. (PsycINFO Database Record

Results suggest that employment as a PSS is a potent vehicle for improving recovery and quality of life. Results accrue to society in reduction of public benefits.

Managers attitudes toward the budget as an object and toward their role in the budgeting process are influenced by a number of factors. In this study, the ability of two personality traits, locus of control and Machiavellianism, and accounting competence were of interest as explanatory variables. Analysis of the questionnaire responses supported two of the hypothesized relationships among variables. Machiavellianism is inversely related to attitudes toward the budget in that high Machiavellianism tendencies are associated with negative attitudes toward the budget. In addition, accounting competence was significant in explaining variation in attitudes toward the individuals role in the budgeting process. Accounting competence was positively related to the attitudes construct. Locus of control was not found to be significantly related to attitudes towards the budget or a mangers role in the budgetary process.

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