Facing the paradox of professionalizing peer roles in MH services: how addressing self-disclosure with self-determination theory might help
Peer Support Workers (PSWs) play a crucial role in recovery-oriented mental health services. They offer support and hope by sharing their personal experiences and recovery journeys. However, transitioning from voluntary self-help roles to paid positions within statutory systems is not merely a techn...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2045796024000751/type/journal_article |
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| Summary: | Peer Support Workers (PSWs) play a crucial role in recovery-oriented mental health services. They offer support and hope by sharing their personal experiences and recovery journeys. However, transitioning from voluntary self-help roles to paid positions within statutory systems is not merely a technical shift. This change creates inherent tensions and conflicts, stemming from the integration of a peer model within a medical framework. I refer to the interface between these models as the “Professional-Peer Paradox” (PPP). At its heart, this paradox questions whether and how PSWs can integrate a role that relies on self-disclosure of shared lived experiences within a system rooted in professional knowledge norms delivered unidirectionally to service recipients. Using a whole organizational approach, I propose leveraging the autonomy-supportive environment concept from self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000) to promote self-disclosure in mental health services. I highlight the complexities involved in Peer Support Workers’ (PSWs) use of self-disclosure (lived experience) within statutory mental health (MH) services. I suggest that PSWs can better commit to their unique roles by structuring multiple peer roles with varying levels of self-disclosure and creating a culture that fosters peer practice. Overall, applying a SDT systems’ framework to the practice of self-disclosure can enhance the occupational identity of PSWs, establishing their unique position within the spectrum of mental health professions globally. |
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| ISSN: | 2045-7960 2045-7979 |