Collaborative community mental health and aged care services with peer support to prevent late-life depression: study protocol for a non-randomised controlled trial

Liu, Tianyin; Leung, Dara Kiu Yi; Kwok, Wai-Wai; Sze, Lesley; Tse, Samson Shu Ki; Ng, Siu Man; Wong, Paul; Lou, Vivian W. Q.; Tang, Joey; Wong, Daniel Fu Keung; Chan, Wai Chi; Kwok, Ricky Yu Kwong; Lum, Terry Yat Sang; Wong, Gloria

doi:10.1186/s13063-022-06122-1

Cited by 10 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 50 publications

(44 reference statements)

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“…In our study, however, sharing of lived experience was mostly related to physical health problems rather than to depression or other mental distress when it comes to older adults dwelling in the community. This result differed from general peer support model [41], which may be due to the service model and the setting of the current study. The trained peer supporters were working in collaboration with social workers in the community setting, and they shared the tasks to support the clients in their recovery journey.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 73%

“…Participants were recruited from a group of 167 voluntary PS who had provided peer support services to older adults at risk of depression or living with depression in Hong Kong for at least 12 months prior to the current study. The inclusion and exclusion criteria of the service recipients were detailed in the protocol of the service programme [41], and the operational definitions of at risk of or with depression were (a) scored 0-4 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9, [45]) and having risk factors, or scored 5-9; and (b) score 10-14 on the PHQ-9; respectively. The participants in this study were sampled purposively according to the different levels of engagement between October 2017 and September 2018 (high level -238 to 318 hours; low level -15 to 56 hours) in peer support services (Fig.…”

Section: Setting and Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the present study, we aimed to investigate the peer supporters' (PS) perspective of their roles and experiences in rendering formal peer support service to community-dwelling older adults recovering from depression through a collaborative stepped-care model -JC JoyAge Holistic Support Project for Elderly Mental Wellness (JC JoyAge) in Hong Kong. The model is a staged approach to the delivery of mental health services, ranging from the least to the most resource-intensive, based on the severity and complexity of the individual's needs [40] (for details of the service model, refer to [41]. We utilized the focus group method to explore into the meaning of this new role for aging adults.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘It was the deepest level of companionship’: peer-to-peer experience of supporting community-dwelling older people with depression - a qualitative study

et al. 2022

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Background There is an ample body of literature examining the experiences and outcomes of peer support services for mental health recovery in western countries. However, formal peer support is only recently adapted and piloted to alleviate depression among older people, and little is known about how the peer-to-peer model might be lived out in the older Chinese population. This qualitative study investigated peer supporters’ (PS) perspectives of their roles and experiences of rendering formal peer support to community-dwelling older adults at risk of or living with depression in Hong Kong. Methods The study adopted a qualitative design. Five semi-structured focus groups were conducted with 27 trained peer supporters between ages 54–74 (21 females and 6 males) who had provided peer-to-peer support to older adults at risk of or living with depression in the community for at least 12 months. Thematic analysis was employed to derive content and meanings from the focus group transcripts. Results Participants’ mean age was 61.9 years; two-thirds of them were retired and the rest still engaged in part-time or full-time employment. Four themes were identified in relations to the roles and experiences in rendering the peer support services: (1) peerness in health and age-related lived experiences; (2) companionship, social and emotional ties beyond formal support; (3) meaningful roles to facilitate older people’s functional ability; and (4) hopes and actions against the undesirable outcomes of aging. Being a PS might provide meaningful roles for persons in transition to or living in late adulthood, and enable community-dwelling older adults with depression to maintain functional ability. On the other hand, defining the concept of ‘peer’ beyond the shared experience of mental distress, ensuring a healthy boundary between the peers and the service users, maintaining a careful balance between time-limited formal support and stable social ties, and providing self-management training and on-going support appear crucial. Conclusions This study of PS’ perspectives and experiences offer insights into the age-specific dimension of the peer relationship. Despite the promising effects it might offer, careful implementation of peer support among older adults is warranted to safeguard against the ensuing loss of meaningful social ties and the potential emotional distress.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 73%

Section: Setting and Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘It was the deepest level of companionship’: peer-to-peer experience of supporting community-dwelling older people with depression - a qualitative study

et al. 2022

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“…As mentioned, alternative psychological intervention to support older adults with depression should be promoted. Recently, Zentangle as a unique intervention approach that requires less emotional expression and promotes self-compassion has been applied in community services for older adults to promote mental wellness and applied as a group intervention (Liu et al, 2022 ). However, little is known about the effects of the Zentangle intervention on older adults with late-life depression.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the original zentangle method on older adults with depressive symptoms a randomized waitlist-controlled trial

Chan

2023

Curr Psychol

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Objectives : Depressive symptoms are common among older adults and many of them did not seek for professional help. Although Zentangle has been widely implemented in service centers for older adults in many societies, very limited empirical study has been conducted on the effects of this method. This study aims to evaluate the effects of Zentangle on community-dwelling older adults with depressive symptoms. Methods : A randomised waitlist-controlled trial of Zentangle was conducted. Forty-six community-dwelling older adults with mild to moderate depression were recruited and randomly assigned to a six session Zentangle group or a waitlist control group. The effects were examined by comparing the participants who received a six-week Zentangle intervention with those in the waitlist control group. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Self-compassion Scale – Short form (SCS-SF) and other mental health outcomes were assessed at baseline, post-intervention and six-week follow-up. Results : Repeated measure ANOVA revealed significant Time x Group effects for depression (F (2, 88) = 21.29, p < .001) and self-compassion (F (2, 88) = 18.50, p < .001) with a large net effect size. Six-week follow-up indicated that such improvements were sustained. Conclusion : This study provides preliminary support that the Zentangle programme is an effective alternative treatment approach for older adults with mild to moderate depression. The original Zentangle method can reduce depressive symptoms and cultivate self-compassion. Further research is necessary to expand our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of how the original Zentangle method works. Trial registration : ISRCTN66410347. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-023-04536-x.

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“…Peer support is widely defined as social and emotional support offered by individuals to others sharing a similar background or health condition that engenders a desired personal change. 1,2 Recent years have witnessed population ageing worldwide, generating increased demands for peer support programmes to improve the mental well-being of older adults and bridge the divide between helping professionals and service users in mental health interventions [3][4][5] and for professional or standardised development of peer support to ensure higher service quality and ease of practice. 6,7 As peer supporters work in diverse settings and embrace multiple service roles, a long-standing challenge has been role confusion or conflict generating uncertainty regarding their core competencies.…”

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confidence: 99%

A core competency framework for mental health peer supporters of older adults in a Chinese community: cross-culturally informed Delphi study

et al. 2023

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Aims and method Non-Western literature on the core competencies of mental health peer supporters remains limited. Therefore, we used a three-round Delphi study with peer supporters, service users (i.e. someone using peer support services) and mental health professionals to develop a core competency framework for peer supporters in the Chinese context. Results The final framework included 35 core competencies, the conceptual origins of which were local (14.3%), Western (20%) and both local and Western (65.7%). They were grouped into five categories in ascending peer supporter role specificity: (1) self-care and self-development, (2) general work ethics, (3) work with others, (4) work with service users and (5) peer support knowledge. Clinical implications A culturally valid mental health peer support competency framework can minimise role confusion and refine training and practice guidelines. In a Chinese context, peer supporters were valued as generic support companions, whereas functions highlighted in the West, such as role modelling, were perceived as less critical.

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Collaborative community mental health and aged care services with peer support to prevent late-life depression: study protocol for a non-randomised controlled trial

Cited by 10 publications

References 50 publications

‘It was the deepest level of companionship’: peer-to-peer experience of supporting community-dwelling older people with depression - a qualitative study

‘It was the deepest level of companionship’: peer-to-peer experience of supporting community-dwelling older people with depression - a qualitative study

Effects of the original zentangle method on older adults with depressive symptoms a randomized waitlist-controlled trial

A core competency framework for mental health peer supporters of older adults in a Chinese community: cross-culturally informed Delphi study

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