Transitional Online Peer Support Group (n=20) for Psychosis

In times of pandemics, social distancing, isolation and quarantine exacerbate depression and anxiety as confined people are detached from their loved ones, deprived of personal liberties, and devoid of purpose owing to altered routine and livelihood (1,2). Those with pre-existing mental health problems or illnesses (MHPIs) might suffer from limiting interpersonal interactions that are central to their self-management, as well as reduced access to helpful but "non-essential" (often cancelled) psychiatric services (3). In response to this situation, this feasibility study of a trial consists of offering a transitional measure of online peer support for people suffering from (a) psychotic disorders or (b) anxiety and mood disorders, and to determine an effect size to this Peer Support Workers-delivered intervention in terms of both personal-civic recovery and clinical recovery (4). Peer Support Workers (PSWs) are persons with first-hand lived experience of MHPIs, and who are further along in their own recovery journey. As recommended by recovery-oriented best practices guidelines (5,6), upon training and certification they can provide supportive services when hired to fill such a paid specialty position directly in, or in conjunction with, current psychiatric services. Indeed, recovery focuses on how individuals can have more active control over their lives (agency). It is characterized by a search for the person's strengths and capacities, satisfying and meaningful social roles, and mobilizing formal and informal support systems. Peer support has thus become one predominant concept in the recovery paradigm and PSWs are specialized in peer support. Yet, not much is known about the efficacy of PSWs from a consumer's perspective of personal-civic recovery. The five principal research questions are whether this online intervention will have an impact in terms of (Q1) personal-civic recovery potential and (Q2) clinical recovery potential, (Q3) how these potentials can be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, (Q4) how the lived experience of people in recovery can be mobilized to cope with such a situation, and (Q5) how sex and gender considerations can be taken into account for the pairing of PSWs with service users, beyond considerations based solely on psychiatric diagnoses or specific MHPIs.