Co-designing consumer and carer peer support principles to assess quality

ABSTRACT Objectives: Peer support has recently been integrated into post-discharge adult mental health services in Australia. This study establishes a consensus on the underpinning, context-specific peer support principles for both consumer and carer peer support and develops and pilot tests a scale to assess the quality of peer support. Methods: A co-design mixed methods approach was taken to iteratively develop peer support principles and to design co-responding survey items. Initial testing of the scale was undertaken with a convenience sample of 33 consumers and 35 carers who received peer support in the preceding nine months. Data were triangulated across multiple data sets for integration across consumers and carers. Scale internal reliability was assessed and comparisons between consumers and carers were investigated. Results: High rates of agreement on scale items measuring five co-designed peer support principles indicated strong service quality. Mann–Whitney U tests demonstrated no difference between consumer and carer responses and scale reliability was α =  .93. Open-ended questions were filtered through the five peer support principles and on the whole showed convergence on the peer support principles by the various stakeholders. Discussion: To date, this is the first known development and application of an integrated scale for both consumers and carers in a post-discharge clinical mental health setting. Opportunity exists for further testing fidelity to peer support principles across various post-discharge peer support settings.