The power of identification: peer support in recovery from mental illness

Abstract

Peer support has been described as facilitating individuals' recovery from mental illness and offering useful support, hope and encouragement. The aim of this study was to explore how individuals with experience of severe mental illness in Sweden perceived peer support facilitating their recovery. The results from the grounded theory analysis of 27 in-depth interviews illustrated that despite diagnoses of severe mental illness, often described in terms of an inability to interact with other people, the identification when meeting others with similar experiences were powerful. The participants described how peer support meant an end to isolation and became an arena for identification, normalization, connection and being important to others. Involvement in the peer support group is related to time and recovery stage, and to how the participants in relation to peers pay attention to their own achievements and their recovery progress, also comparing their level of wellness with that of their peers.

Keywords

• peer support (PS)
• recovery
• mental illness
• gender