Initial evaluation of the Peer-to-Peer program.
OBJECTIVE
Peer-to-Peer, sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), is a structured, experiential, self-empowerment, relapse prevention and wellness program led by trained peer mentors for people with mental illnesses. The authors conducted the first empirical evaluation of the program by using a pre-post survey design.


METHODS
Approximately 550 participants who were enrolled in Peer-to-Peer during the data collection period (2005-2006) were invited to complete a brief, anonymous survey before participating in the program and immediately after.


RESULTS
Analyses of responses from 138 participants indicated that they gained significant benefits, especially in areas central to the Peer-to-Peer curriculum--specifically, knowledge and management of their illness, feelings of being less powerless and more confident, connection with others, and completion of an advance directive. Qualitative analysis of responses to an open-ended postintervention question supported the quantitative findings.


CONCLUSIONS
Peer-to-Peer is a promising self-help modality that warrants additional evaluation with more rigorous methodology.
Lucksted
Alicia
A
Center for Mental Health Services Research, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 737 West Lombard St., Room 258, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. aluckste@psych.umaryland.edu
McNulty
Kathryn
K
Brayboy
Lorener
L
Forbes
Courtney
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010379:Peer Group; D012648:Self Care; D020377:Self Efficacy; D055815:Young Adult