Effectiveness of a community-based peer support service among persons suffering severe mental illness in China
Yunge Fan,
Ning Ma,
Aili Ouyang,
Wufang Zhang,
Manxi He,
Yong Chen,
Jin Liu,
Zhongxiang Li,
Junlan Yang,
Liang Ma,
Eric D. Caine
Affiliations
Yunge Fan
Peking University Sixth Hospital; Peking University Institute of Mental Health; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University); National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
Ning Ma
Peking University Sixth Hospital; Peking University Institute of Mental Health; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University); National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
Aili Ouyang
The Fourth People’s Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Wufang Zhang
Peking University Sixth Hospital; Peking University Institute of Mental Health; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University); National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
Manxi He
The Fourth People’s Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Yong Chen
The Fourth People’s Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Jin Liu
Pengzhou Mental Health Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Zhongxiang Li
Department of Psychiatry, Chengdu Dekang Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Junlan Yang
Pengzhou Mental Health Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Liang Ma
Third hospital of Chaoyang district, Beijing Chaoyang District Mental Disease Prevention and Control Center, Beijing, China
Eric D. Caine
Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, New York, Rochester, NY, USA
Background Community-based peer support service is widely and effectively deployed for persons suffering severe mental illness (SMI) in countries with well-developed outpatient mental health systems. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a 1-year peer service project among persons with SMI implemented in China. Methods A total of 101 consumers (service recipients) and 66 family caregivers were recruited at baseline from communities located in Beijing and Chengdu. Severity of psychiatric symptoms, personal and social functioning, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and medication adherence were evaluated among consumers. Self-esteem, life satisfaction, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were assessed among family caregivers. Participants were reevaluated at 1 year with the same measures. Changes in outcomes from baseline to 1-year follow-up were examined using paired sample t tests or Stuart-Maxwell tests. Results Consumers’ psychiatric symptoms were decreased at 1 year (p < 0.001). Their personal and social functioning (p = 0.003) and life satisfaction (p < 0.001) were increased. There were no improvements in self-esteem (p = 0.108) and medication adherence (ps ≥ 0.827) among consumers. For caregivers, no increases were presented in outcomes at the 1-year assessment (ps ≥ 0.164). Conclusions The findings suggest that peer support services could be sustainably implemented across China, with positive impacts on the psychiatric symptoms, social functioning, and life satisfaction of participants suffering SMI.
