Open Access

ARTICLE

Embracing and Growing as a Peer Support Provider: An Analysis of Participants’ Experience in a Peer Support Program Based on the Recovery Model of Mental Illness

Su Yeon Kim¹, Kyung Mi Lim², Soo Jin Kim³, Go-Un Kim⁴, Boyoung Kim^5,*

1 College of Nursing, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61469, South Korea
2 John Village, Gwangju, 61469, South Korea
3 College of Nursing, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61469, South Korea
4 College of Nursing, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
5 College of Nursing, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Gyeongnam, 52727, South Korea

* Corresponding Author: Boyoung Kim. Email:

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2020, 22(4), 261-270. https://doi.org/10.32604/IJMHP.2020.013279

Received 31 July 2020; Accepted 28 September 2020; Issue published 22 December 2020

Abstract

Peer support is an important factor in the recovery of persons with mental illness. Most studies have focused on the effects of peer support programs on participants rather than on the process of mental health recovery. This study was a qualitative analysis of the experience of participants in a peer support provider program based on the recovery model of mental illness in Korean communities. The participants were recruited through flyers, and interested candidates were screened to determine whether they met the eligibility criteria. The total number of participants in individual interviews was 10, comprising 5 males and 5 females. The participants’ age range was 20 years to 50 years, and schizophrenia was the most common diagnosis. By applying the six-step content analysis method by Braun and Clarke, this study extracted 140 meaningful statements, from which 20 sub-themes, 7 subcategories, and 3 categories were derived. The core theme of participants’ experience was embracing and growing as a peer support provider as part of recovery progress by aspiring a peer support provider, positively accepting illness, and engaging in a meaningful role in the community. The participants expressed their emotions by sharing their experiences; they recognized the possibility of recovery from powerlessness and despair and learned to play a vital role as a member of the community.

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