Significance of peer social support with dually diagnosed clients: Findings from a pilot study

This article examines a special peer social support program, which provides support to high-risk dually diagnosed clients. A pilot study of 10 randomly selected clients in the study group, and 51 in the comparison group, who had been in community care 1 year prior to this investigation was carried out. Service was provided for a 6-month period. Findings suggest that coupling peer social support with intensive case management is associated with positive system outcomes. The number of crisis events of the comparison group far exceeded that of the study group. The number of hospitalizations was dramatically lower for the study group. Clients in the study group reported improved quality of life and perceived their physical and emotional well-being as improved over the course of the study. This pilot study indicates that peer support has a potential of improving system and clients' outcome; however, further replication is required.