Using Peer Support to Empower Self-Management and Participation in Treatment for Individuals Who are Difficult to Engage-View Presentation Slides

View Presentation Slides

Pdf Summary

The American Psychiatric Association's webinar on "Using Peer Support to Empower Self-Management and Participation in Treatment for Individuals Who are Difficult to Engage" addresses the challenges faced by individuals with mental health issues in engaging with the formal care system. It highlights peer support as a crucial tool for building trust and fostering therapeutic relationships among those who are often mistrustful or disengaged from traditional healthcare settings.<br /><br />Factors influencing disconnection from treatment include past coercive experiences, lack of representation among clinicians, stigmatization by healthcare professionals, and fear among young adults and minority groups. The webinar emphasized that people often disengage from the system due to feeling devalued, lacking autonomy, and experiencing depersonalization.<br /><br />Peer support offers a solution by promoting mutual understanding and acceptance of a patient's expertise about their life situation, enhancing feelings of autonomy and trust. Peer supporters leverage shared experiences to build rapport, reduce stigma, increase engagement, and empower individuals to manage their own care. This can lead to better health outcomes, increased patient activation, and reduced healthcare utilization.<br /><br />The session also discussed how motivation and activation, prompted by supportive peer relationships, can significantly enhance an individual's engagement in self-care and treatment. When individuals feel respected and understood by peers sharing similar experiences, their participation in treatment is more active and effective.<br /><br />Overall, peer support is presented as a means to foster self-efficacy, empowerment, and strong therapeutic alliances in mental healthcare. The webinar encourages professionals to integrate these practices to improve service engagement and patient outcomes.

Keywords

peer support

mental health

self-management

therapeutic relationships

patient engagement

healthcare stigma

autonomy

shared experiences

self-efficacy

therapeutic alliances