Individual and organizational outcomes of engaging peers in the cocreation of digital mental health interventions.

Within mental health services, persons in recovery from their own experiences of mental health challenges (peers) are increasingly being trained to provide peer support. This study describes individual and organizational outcomes related to engaging peers in a multisite demonstration project in California that sought to integrate them as cocreators throughout planning and implementation of digital mental health interventions. We collected data from key informants across 11 sites. Quarterly online surveys invited key informants to report perceived outcomes of the peer component. Biannual interviews elicited details regarding survey-reported outcomes. Quantitative data provided indications of outcome prevalence and consistency, and quotes from the interviews illustrated the complex realities underlying survey responses. One hundred three quarterly surveys and 39 biannual interviews were completed between Summer 2020 and Fall 2022. Key informants reported diverse outcomes, including integration of peer input into local decision making, mental health benefits to peers and community members, reduced workplace mental health stigma, and new cross-site collaborations. Five sites reported outcomes with greater consistency compared to the other six sites. Reports of increased peer visibility in the workplace coincided with reports of reduced stigma and increased value of peer input by mental health professionals. This study offers encouragement for the potential positive impact of engaging peers as cocreators of mental health interventions. Data suggest integrating peers does not increase mental health stigma and may instead result in various positive outcomes. The degree to which these outcomes manifest in a specific setting, however, may vary. Future research should seek to identify contextual factors that support actualization of positive outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).