‘Like a family in the end’: Improving mental health Recovery skills through Peer‐to‐Peer communication in Darwin, Australia

Abstract

The existing psychosocial Support activities in the Northern Territory, Australia, are mostly delivered through individualised outreach and client‐centred Support programs and do not currently have a strong Peer focus. To address this gap, a Peer‐Led Education Pilot was developed and implemented in Darwin, Australia. The pilot was comprised of three separate but overarching stages, and each stage was independently evaluated. In this article, results from Stage 1 will be presented, with a specific focus on the role of Peer‐to‐Peer communication in improving participants' mental health and Recovery skills. This stage involved the delivery of the My Recovery program to self‐nominated participants, and the evaluation was aimed at reporting on the appropriateness and effectiveness of the program. The evaluation was qualitative in design involving individual pre‐ and post‐program interviews with program participants (npre = 14, npost = 16) between August and October 2019. The program was well received by participants and helped build their capacity to understand and self‐manage their mental health and/or alcohol and other drug issues in an inclusive, non‐clinical, non‐judgemental space. The results highlighted the importance of including a strong Peer focus in the existing psychosocial Support services available for people with mental health issues in Darwin. The findings also underscored the inclusion of those with lived experience of mental health challenges in the design and delivery of such programs.

“You Don’t Get That from Professionals”: A Consumer-Led Peer Recovery Program for Families and Friends of Individuals with Alcohol and Other Drugs Use Issues in Darwin

“…The program is delivered by skilled peer facilitators affiliated with the Network who followed a stepped vocational pathway that was found to be the ideal pathway for the emerging local peer workforce [ 1 ]. Participants in the program learn about the following topics: (1) mental health and alcohol and drug-related misuse and co-occurring issues; (2) recovery and ways to support recovery; (3) identifying and responding to a crisis; (4) ways to support own wellbeing and practice self-care; (5) managing overwhelming emotions and responses; (6) setting boundaries on relationships; (7) effectively communicating their needs and rights; (8) responding to stigma and discrimination; and (9) navigating the mental health, alcohol, and other drugs service system.…”

“…They also participate in regular co-reflection sessions where they are able to provide feedback to peer facilitators, which offers an opportunity for continuous quality improvement. [ 2 ].…”

“…Substance use issues rarely impact the individual only; they also significantly affect the whole family and even the broader social environment [ 2 , 10 ]. For instance, it may strain relationships, create social isolation, and weaken families’ resilience as well as their physical, emotional, and financial security [ 11 ].…”

“…Indeed, past studies have described that concealing this information negatively impacts self-esteem, life satisfaction, happiness, depression, and anxiety because keeping a secret of this nature can be psychologically demanding [ 23 ]. Additionally, families often withdraw from social interactions to avoid judgement [ 2 , 12 ]. These avoidance behaviours can significantly burden the families’ quality of life, leading to mental health challenges, the experience of chronic loneliness, maladaptive coping strategies, and even substance use issues [ 15 , 24 ].…”

“…These avoidance behaviours can significantly burden the families’ quality of life, leading to mental health challenges, the experience of chronic loneliness, maladaptive coping strategies, and even substance use issues [ 15 , 24 ]. Thus, it is necessary to pay attention to families’ mental wellbeing and to support them in their own recovery journey to enable them to walk alongside their loved ones who are experiencing substance use issues [ 2 , 25 , 26 ].…”