Common Humanity as an Under-acknowledged Mechanism for Mental Health Peer Support

Kotera, Yasuhiro; Llewellyn-Beardsley, Joy; Charles, Ashleigh; Slade, Mike

Abstract

Mental health peer support (PS) is a relational approach to recovery. Service users are helped through a relationship focused on connection with a PS worker who shares similar experiences. Despite the strong evidence base, the mechanisms of action for mental health PS are under-researched. Several theories have been proposed to explain the mechanisms, including social comparison theory (SCT). SCT highlights the benefits arising from emphasising differences between a service user and the PS worker. An unintended consequence is that connection between them may be reduced. We propose common humanity (CH) as an under-acknowledged mechanism of action. CH is an experience recognising that there are other people living with similar suffering, and helps us regulate emotions. A CH-informed connection-based PS relationship may help a service user in different ways from a SCT-informed comparison-based PS relationship. Future PS research can investigate emotional self-regulation to establish whether CH-related outcomes arise from PS.

Citation

Kotera, Y., Llewellyn-Beardsley, J., Charles, A., & Slade, M. (2024). Common Humanity as an Under-acknowledged Mechanism for Mental Health Peer Support. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 22, 1096–1102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-022-00916-9

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 1, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Sep 19, 2022
• Publication Date: 2024
• Deposit Date: Sep 7, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 20, 2023
• Journal: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction
• Print ISSN: 1557-1874
• Electronic ISSN: 1557-1882
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 22
• Pages: 1096–1102
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-022-00916-9
• Keywords: Common humanity · Peer support · Mental health recovery · Emotional regulation · Connection
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/10914225
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11469-022-00916-9