Peer support has a vital role to play in suicide prevention, but misconceptions are getting in the way
For World Suicide Prevention Day (10 September), Catriona McDougall, projects coordinator at Scottish Recovery Network, challenges the misconceptions and explains why peer support has such a crucial role to play in suicide prevention
Scottish Government and COSLA Suicide Prevention Strategy – Creating Hope Together – recognises the valuable contribution of peer support in our communities.
Through our own work, with the Creating Hope with Peer Support project, we know that there are peer groups and services providing critical support for people who have had their lives impacted by suicide. Peer Supporters are often filling the gaps in provision created by an over-loaded mental health system.
Donna Paterson-Harvie, Founder/CEO of Neil’s Hug Foundation, commented: “I do not believe that people in positions of power and in general are aware of the impact peer support has in all of our communities. The pressure taken off from the statutory services by people with lived experience who set up charities and groups to fill the gaps. Peer support saves lives!”
But what makes peer support different and why is it so powerful?
With peer support we are often taking something that happens naturally between people and formalising it. This can happen through the creation of groups, peer worker roles and peer services. It is important not to compromise the core elements of peer support: shared lived experience which builds trust and empathy; a mutual relationship of equals where people walk alongside rather than ‘fix;’ a supportive relationship based on hope and belief; and intentional space where people explore together and work towards recovery.
Through peer support people living with mental health challenges are part of the solution.
But the problem is that peer support is often misrepresented as inferior to clinical approaches. What could be seen as part of the answer to a struggling mental health system is at times wrongly dismissed as too risky or not evidence based. These misconceptions can be dangerous at both an individual and systems level.
Preventing someone from reaching out to access peer support that is immediate and tailored to their needs. Limiting sustainable investment in, and collaboration with peer support services that are providing robust and essential support in communities. Support that has the flexibility to work across sectors to provide early intervention and ongoing support for those in distress.
Wendy Given, Chief Operating Officer at The Neuk, a Community Crisis Service in Perth, had this to say: “Peer is everything to us and it goes across all the service. And 97% of the people that come through the door don't need escalated to a medical intervention.”
Saying that peer support is risky comes from the belief that Peer Supporters are not trained and are ‘fragile’ themselves. People with lived experience who are designing, delivering and accessing peer support have a different story to tell.
Living Warriors Project is a grassroots peer support group for survivors of attempted suicide; providing a space where people can feel safe talking about this experience. Nic Saunders, Founder and Co-organiser, told us: “Peer support can give people hope as we, as peers, are living examples that things can get better and that we are humans just trying our best to get through the complexity of life. The intrinsic understanding of our shared experiences can alleviate feelings of isolation and give voice to the thoughts and feelings we thought were just ours.”
Risk is inherent in all types of mental health treatment and support. There is risk when taking medication, sitting on waiting lists, and there is risk of misdiagnosis. Why is the risk associated with peer support treated differently? Peer support takes a peer relationship and formalises it with boundaries, values and a way of working that protects everyone involved.
A quick internet search will show a growing evidence base across the world (Scotland, Australia, Canada and Singapore to name a few) demonstrating peer support successfully improving people’s clinical outcomes and mental health recovery.
It’s encouraging to see a commitment to championing peer support in Scotland’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan. We recently brought together people from different mental health organisations to talk with Maree Todd, Minister for Mental Wellbeing, about the vital role of peer support. The Minister commented: “It is such a privilege to hear from Peer Supporters – who are making ‘time, space, compassion’ real every day. They do powerful work. There’s nothing more hopeful when you’re in despair than finding folk who’ve walked in your shoes and are now in a different place”
On World Suicide Prevention Day (10 September 2024), we want to take a moment to recognise all the peer support groups, workers and services that are providing safe spaces. Spaces where people can talk to someone who understands and can work with them to find a way through. As Donna Paterson-Harvie, of Neil’s Hugs Foundation quite rightly put it: “Peer support saves lives!”
As well as reaching out to local organisations similar to those mentioned in this article, anyone affected by these issues can access support from the following services: NHS 24; Mental Health Hub; Breathing Space and Samaritans.
You can find resources to help you design and deliver peer support here