RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: The introduction of the first French professional peer support workers training program. (« Médiateurs de santé pairs en santé mentale ¼) led to a series of evaluations. After a number of qualitative studies demonstrating benefits of peer support for all stakeholders, our objective was to evaluate its direct effects for users by focusing on repeated quantitative measures: global functioning and self-stigma scores. The hypothesis was that peer support would improve the former and decrease the latter. METHOD: The procedure was based on a one-year follow-up of two groups of mental health service users. Both groups received usual care, either with or without additional peer support. All of them were asked to respond to three questionnaires at the beginning of the study and 6 and 12 months later: a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, a global functioning scale and a self-stigmatization scale. Samples included 85/64/35 participants at the three stages for the PHM group, and 205/157/105 for the control group. RESULTS: Peer support improved global functioning. Nevertheless, it had no impact on self-stigmatization scores which remained rather low throughout the observational period. CONCLUSIONS: Despite difficulties concerning follow-up of service users during the course of the study and the reluctance to integrate a new profession based on experiential knowledge, it appears that the hope of recovery can improve global functioning of people with mental disorders. The reasons for low self-stigmatization and its stability over time remain to be explored.
RESUMEN
Cet article documente la manière dont s'est renouvelé et s'est transformé au fil du temps le projet de faire participer les usagers aux exercices de planification et d'organisation des services de santé mentale au Québec (Canada). Pour ce faire, les auteurs reviennent sur l'ensemble des documents ministériels qui ont traité de cette question et dégage, pour les principaux moment-clés, les principales modalités de participation des usagers.
Este artigo documenta a forma como se renovou e se transformou, ao longo do tempo, o projeto de participação dos usuários no planejamento e organização dos serviços de Saúde Mental no Quebec (Canadá). Para isso, os autores reavaliaram todo o conjunto de documentos ministeriais que trataram desta questão e retiraram, para os momentos-chaves, as principais modalidades de participação dos usuários.