The present report details the methodology and results of a comprehensive review of Irish and international literature on family peer support in the context of mental health difficulties, including addiction. The review seeks, firstly, to investigate and outline the practice of family peer support internationally, and secondly, to identify and collate the best available evidence in relation to family peer support work. The review will inform the development of a Family Peer Support Worker Toolkit, which will guide the implementation and practice of family peer support in Irish mental health services. The project was funded by the Family Peer Support Worker Toolkit Working Group, established under the HSE Mental Health Engagement and Recovery Office.

Family peer support: Support offered to family members of people with mental health difficulties, by other family members of people with mental health difficulties. This can take a range of forms, including informal and formal support, information sharing, mentoring, support groups, emotional support, and others. The key element is the supporters’ use of their own lived experience to uplift, empathise with, and connect with the person seeking support.

Results: The availability of information on the current practice of family peer support work varies greatly across the six countries. While some countries provide detailed documentation on the scope, values, principles, skills, training, certification, and supervision of Family Peer Support Workers, others – including Ireland - lack such formal structures. Where available, this information is discussed in depth in the body of the report. 

Existing research provides great insight into the impact and effectiveness of family peer support. Documented benefits include significant improvements in family empowerment, mental health and wellbeing, self-care, knowledge of mental health difficulties and treatment, and satisfaction with mental health services. Significant reductions in psychological distress were also found. In qualitative research, participants reported benefiting from the information and skills they gained through family peer support, as well as the emotional and practical support provided. Participants particularly appreciated the peer element of family peer support. Receiving support from someone who genuinely understood what participants were experiencing helped them feel more accepted and less isolated and judged. However, barriers to availing of family peer support are also documented, including practical barriers, insufficient availability, and fear of stigma. Some negative aspects of family peer support interventions have been reported, such as challenges associated with hearing other families’ stories in group interventions. From the perspective of Family Peer Support Workers, challenges include lack of clarity surrounding their role, isolation, lack of respect for their expertise, and the complexities of supporting family members of people with mental health difficulties while also being a family member...

P.69 Chapter 6. Family peer support in the context of addiction
This section details literature concerning FPSW in the context of addiction. While the focus of the present review is on mental health services, the Working Group felt that the common co-occurrence of substance abuse with MHDs - known as “dual diagnosis” - warrants the inclusion of both topics within the review. In addition, exploring the provision of FPSW in addiction services may offer valuable insights for the development of these supports within mental health services....