UPSIDES Mental Health Peer Support in Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Actions and Insights

Yael Goldfarb; Alina Grayzman; Lion Gai Meir; Shimri Hadas Grundman; Meirav Rabinian; Max Lachman; Paula Garber Epstein; Inbar Adler Ben-Dor; Adi Naaman; Bernd Puschner; Galia S. Moran

doi:10.1007/s10597-022-01030-9

UPSIDES Mental Health Peer Support in Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Actions and Insights

Yael Goldfarb, Alina Grayzman, Lion Gai Meir, Shimri Hadas Grundman, Meirav Rabinian, Max Lachman, Paula Garber Epstein, Inbar Adler Ben-Dor, Adi Naaman, Bernd Puschner, Galia S. Moran

Department of Community Mental Health

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The outburst of the COVID-19 pandemic challenged vulnerable populations such as individuals with significant mental illness. In this fresh focus, we describe the innovative development of the UPSIDES mental health peer support intervention, in face of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel. While the research program is still ongoing, in this paper we focus on the processes and lessons learned from dealing with the rapidly changing circumstances of the pandemic. We portray additional activities conducted above and beyond the UPSIDES protocol in order to maintain continuation and prevent dropout. We learned that an essential combination of keeping a close adherence with the core peer principles and UPSIDES’ systematic program and the use of flexible telecommunication means, helped to maintain social connection and service users’ participation throughout these times. The sudden pandemic challenges appeared to level out power imbalances and accelerated the formation of reciprocal and supportive relational interactions within the intervention. These processes highlight experiential knowledge as a unique asset, and peer support services as useful in supporting individuals with significant mental illness throughout COVID-19.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-9
Number of pages	9
Journal	Community Mental Health Journal
Early online date	12 Dec 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-022-01030-9
State	E-pub ahead of print - 12 Dec 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. UPSIDES has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 779263. This publication reflects only the authors’ view. The Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).

Keywords

COVID-19
Mental health peer support
Serious mental illness
Social inclusion
UPSIDES

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Health(social science)
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Psychiatry and Mental health

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1007/s10597-022-01030-9

Cite this

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abstract = "The outburst of the COVID-19 pandemic challenged vulnerable populations such as individuals with significant mental illness. In this fresh focus, we describe the innovative development of the UPSIDES mental health peer support intervention, in face of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel. While the research program is still ongoing, in this paper we focus on the processes and lessons learned from dealing with the rapidly changing circumstances of the pandemic. We portray additional activities conducted above and beyond the UPSIDES protocol in order to maintain continuation and prevent dropout. We learned that an essential combination of keeping a close adherence with the core peer principles and UPSIDES{\textquoteright} systematic program and the use of flexible telecommunication means, helped to maintain social connection and service users{\textquoteright} participation throughout these times. The sudden pandemic challenges appeared to level out power imbalances and accelerated the formation of reciprocal and supportive relational interactions within the intervention. These processes highlight experiential knowledge as a unique asset, and peer support services as useful in supporting individuals with significant mental illness throughout COVID-19.",

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UPSIDES Mental Health Peer Support in Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Actions and Insights

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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