“The peer workers, they get it” – how lived experience expertise strengthens therapeutic alliances and alcohol and other drug treatment-seeking in the hospital setting
Leanne Francia, Amelia Berg, T. Lam, Kirsty Morgan, S. Nielsen
{"title":"“The peer workers, they get it” – how lived experience expertise strengthens therapeutic alliances and alcohol and other drug treatment-seeking in the hospital setting","authors":"Leanne Francia, Amelia Berg, T. Lam, Kirsty Morgan, S. Nielsen","doi":"10.1080/16066359.2022.2124245","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Introduction and aims Despite a long history of the adoption of a peer workforce in alcohol and other drug treatment service provision, there is limited peer reviewed literature on the benefits of peer worker role integration in the hospital setting. Our qualitative study explored the perceptions of people with lived experience of problematic alcohol and other drugs use and their experiences of peer worker roles in the hospital setting. Design and methods Twenty semi-structured interviews with people who experienced problematic alcohol and other drug use. Transcripts were thematically analyzed and guided by a broad interest in a therapeutic alliance. Results We identified four themes related to how lived experience expertise within a peer worker role strengthened therapeutic alliances: (i) by building trust and credibility; (i) by building hope; (iii) the ability to approach informally; and (iv) in continuing to be accessible long term. Discussion and conclusion The results partly echo earlier literature, however highlight two innovative aspects that relate to lived experience expertise that maintain therapeutic alliances in the hospital setting being, firstly, the ability to approach informally, and secondly, an opportunity for longer-term engagement. In Australia at present there is a window of opportunity to better integrate peer workers into clinical care models, and as such our results have implications for how policy makers might better approach peer worker integration and configuration to improve treatment-seeking intentions both within and beyond the hospital setting.","PeriodicalId":1,"journal":{"name":"Accounts of Chemical Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":16.4000,"publicationDate":"2022-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Accounts of Chemical Research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2022.2124245","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 1
Abstract
Abstract Introduction and aims Despite a long history of the adoption of a peer workforce in alcohol and other drug treatment service provision, there is limited peer reviewed literature on the benefits of peer worker role integration in the hospital setting. Our qualitative study explored the perceptions of people with lived experience of problematic alcohol and other drugs use and their experiences of peer worker roles in the hospital setting. Design and methods Twenty semi-structured interviews with people who experienced problematic alcohol and other drug use. Transcripts were thematically analyzed and guided by a broad interest in a therapeutic alliance. Results We identified four themes related to how lived experience expertise within a peer worker role strengthened therapeutic alliances: (i) by building trust and credibility; (i) by building hope; (iii) the ability to approach informally; and (iv) in continuing to be accessible long term. Discussion and conclusion The results partly echo earlier literature, however highlight two innovative aspects that relate to lived experience expertise that maintain therapeutic alliances in the hospital setting being, firstly, the ability to approach informally, and secondly, an opportunity for longer-term engagement. In Australia at present there is a window of opportunity to better integrate peer workers into clinical care models, and as such our results have implications for how policy makers might better approach peer worker integration and configuration to improve treatment-seeking intentions both within and beyond the hospital setting.
期刊介绍:
Accounts of Chemical Research presents short, concise and critical articles offering easy-to-read overviews of basic research and applications in all areas of chemistry and biochemistry. These short reviews focus on research from the author’s own laboratory and are designed to teach the reader about a research project. In addition, Accounts of Chemical Research publishes commentaries that give an informed opinion on a current research problem. Special Issues online are devoted to a single topic of unusual activity and significance.
Accounts of Chemical Research replaces the traditional article abstract with an article "Conspectus." These entries synopsize the research affording the reader a closer look at the content and significance of an article. Through this provision of a more detailed description of the article contents, the Conspectus enhances the article's discoverability by search engines and the exposure for the research.