Toward understanding the impact of occupational characteristics on the recovery and growth processes of peer providers.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Peer providers experience unique recovery and growth processes. This study examines the relationship of these processes with multiple occupational characteristics related to peer work. Outcomes are examined using positive psychology concepts: psychological well-being, posttraumatic growth, and generativity, as well as established recovery and empowerment measures. METHOD: Thirty peer providers employed in a variety of mental-health agencies participated in the study and completed standardized measures of recovery and growth processes. Multiple past and present occupational characteristics were identified and coded based on a semistructured interview and a background questionnaire. RESULTS: Multivariate analyses revealed a significant association between participants' generativity and past participation in peer-support/self-help groups, as well as past work in a helping profession. No associations were found between the characteristics of participants' present peer jobs and the examined recovery and growth processes. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The present findings have implications for the expansion of the peer-provider workforce. They suggest that encouraging and enabling peer-support groups and peer-run organizations may have positive impact on the generativity of peer providers, and may draw generative individuals to this emerging occupational modality of mental-health recovery oriented service. Study findings underscore the need for future research on recovery processes from the perspective of positive psychology and highlight the value of peer exposure as a catalyst of recovery and growth.