Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Services Development, Newham Centre for Mental Health, Glen Road, London, E13 8SP, UK.
McPin Foundation, 32-36 Loman St, London, SE1 0EH, UK.
BMC Psychiatry. 2019 Apr 17;19(1):116. doi: 10.1186/s12888-019-2102-y.
Volunteers frequently participate in befriending schemes with people with mental illness. This study aimed to explore the motivations and experiences of volunteer befrienders engaging in these schemes in addition to the experiences of befriending recipients.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 38 volunteers and 23 befriending recipients, across 12 mental health befriending schemes in the UK, and analysed using Thematic Analysis. Volunteers highlighted their motivations for wanting to befriend. Individuals discussed their experiences, including the benefits and any challenges.
Analysis of interviews revealed the motivations for individuals to volunteer in mental health care, the experiences of both volunteers and recipients of befriending, as well as how complex the role of befriender is. The three overarching themes were (1) Personal growth & altruism as motivations for volunteering, (2) Impact of "doing things" versus "being there" and (3) Negotiating between professional role and friendship.
A number of personal and altruistic factors motivate individuals to volunteer in mental health care. The experiences of both volunteers and befriendees convey important factors affecting these relationships. In particular, the nuance of the befriending role and the ways in which it can impact the lives of recipients. Indeed, such factors need to be considered when formulating these befriending schemes.
志愿者经常参与与精神疾病患者交朋友的计划。本研究旨在探讨志愿者参与这些计划的动机和经验，以及接受者的经历。
在英国的 12 个心理健康交友计划中，对 38 名志愿者和 23 名交友接受者进行了半结构化访谈，并使用主题分析进行了分析。志愿者强调了他们想要交友的动机。个人讨论了他们的经验，包括好处和任何挑战。
访谈分析揭示了个人在心理健康护理中志愿服务的动机、志愿者和交友接受者的经验，以及交友者的角色是多么复杂。三个总体主题是（1）个人成长和利他主义是志愿服务的动机，（2）“做事”与“在那里”的影响，（3）在专业角色和友谊之间进行协商。
许多个人和利他主义因素促使个人在心理健康护理中志愿服务。志愿者和接受者的经验传达了影响这些关系的重要因素。特别是，交友角色的细微差别以及它如何影响接受者的生活。事实上，在制定这些交友计划时需要考虑到这些因素。
