Nursing & Social Education Research Unit, University Bern Psychiatric Services, Bern, Switzerland International Graduate Academy (InGrA), 'Participation as Goal of Nursing and Therapy', Institute of Health and Nursing Sciences, Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
Psychiatric Services Baselland, Liestal, Switzerland.
Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2016 May;62(3):214-20. doi: 10.1177/0020764015623969. Epub 2016 Jan 22.
Peer support workers (PSWs) are an emerging workforce within the Swiss mental health system. The 'Experienced Involvement' (EX-IN) training programmes prepare and certify individuals who have experienced mental health problems to work as PSWs.
This study examined the influence of EX-IN training on participants' employment status and their experiences in the year after training.
We employed quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were collected at baseline, immediately after completion and at 1 year post-training. Additionally, individual narrative interviews were conducted with 10 participants at 1 year post-training.
At 1 year of completion, the majority of participants were in paid employment. Difficulties included unclear PSW roles. The qualitative analyses revealed the following categories: 'Evolving from the patient role despite experiencing effects or consequences of mental illness', 'Feeling welcome and being confronted with conflicting expectations', 'Helping others while being needy at the same time' and 'Doing something worthwhile and the fear of failure'.
Clear role descriptions, well-defined expectations, team preparation, acknowledgement of vulnerabilities and institution-level support PSWs are important to safeguard both PSWs and service users by minimising the destabilisation risk. Future EX-IN training graduates can benefit from the establishment of remunerated PSW roles in psychiatric services.
同伴支持工作者（PSW）是瑞士精神卫生系统中新兴的劳动力。“经验性介入”（EX-IN）培训计划旨在培养和认证那些有过心理健康问题的个人，使其能够担任 PSW。
本研究旨在探讨 EX-IN 培训对参与者培训后一年的就业状况和经历的影响。
我们采用了定量和定性方法。定量数据在基线、培训结束后立即和培训后 1 年收集。此外，在培训后 1 年对 10 名参与者进行了个体叙事访谈。
在培训结束后的 1 年内，大多数参与者都有带薪工作。困难包括 PSW 角色不明确。定性分析揭示了以下几个类别：“尽管经历了精神疾病的影响或后果，但仍能从患者角色中逐渐转变”、“感到受欢迎并面临相互冲突的期望”、“在帮助他人的同时又需要他人的帮助”和“做一些有意义的事情并担心失败”。
明确的角色描述、明确的期望、团队准备、对脆弱性的认可以及机构层面的支持对保护 PSW 和服务使用者，减少不稳定风险非常重要。未来的 EX-IN 培训毕业生可以从精神病服务中设立有报酬的 PSW 角色中受益。
