Kyaien O Conner1, Amber Gum1, Angela Johnson2, Tamara Cadet3, Charlotte Brown4. 1. Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, The Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa. 2. Department of Psychology, Mary Baldwin College, Virginia. 3. School of Social Work, Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts. 4. Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Older adults who have personal experience with the mental health service delivery system gain unique and potentially valuable insight from their treatment experiences. Research suggests that incorporating trained individuals in recovery from a mental illness (i.e., peer educators) into mental health service delivery roles results in substantial benefits for current mental health consumers, particularly for older adults and racial and ethnic minorities who may feel disenfranchised from the traditional mental health service delivery system. However, little research has examined the impact of participating in these activities on the peer educators themselves. Research Design and Methods: This mixed methods study examines the experiences of 10 African American older adults in recovery from depression currently working as trained peer educators. Peer educators reported feeling more positive, feeling their lives had significantly improved, and feeling better in general due to their peer educator roles. Results: This qualitative investigation highlights four unique themes that can explain the benefit of serving in this capacity (i.e., Community Engagement, Life Long Learning and Education, Mental Health Recovery and Productive Aging). Discussion and Implications: This study suggests that serving has a peer educator has a number of beneficial outcomes for African American older adults in recovery from depression.
Background and Objectives: Older adults who have personal experience with the mental health service delivery system gain unique and potentially valuable insight from their treatment experiences. Research suggests that incorporating trained individuals in recovery from a mental illness (i.e., peer educators) into mental health service delivery roles results in substantial benefits for current mental health consumers, particularly for older adults and racial and ethnic minorities who may feel disenfranchised from the traditional mental health service delivery system. However, little research has examined the impact of participating in these activities on the peer educators themselves. Research Design and Methods: This mixed methods study examines the experiences of 10 African American older adults in recovery from depression currently working as trained peer educators. Peer educators reported feeling more positive, feeling their lives had significantly improved, and feeling better in general due to their peer educator roles. Results: This qualitative investigation highlights four unique themes that can explain the benefit of serving in this capacity (i.e., Community Engagement, Life Long Learning and Education, Mental Health Recovery and Productive Aging). Discussion and Implications: This study suggests that serving has a peer educator has a number of beneficial outcomes for African American older adults in recovery from depression.
Authors: Kyaien O Conner; Brenda Lee; Vanessa Mayers; Deborah Robinson; Charles F Reynolds; Steve Albert; Charlotte Brown Journal: J Aging Stud Date: 2010-12-01
Authors: Chin-Chen Liu; Yi-Tung Lin; Kung-Chuan Cheng; Hsueh-Hsing Pan; Chou-Ping Chiou Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-08-01 Impact factor: 4.614