Effectiveness and Cost Effectiveness of Peer Mentors in Reducing Hospital Use (Project PEP)

Yale University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Serious Mental Illness

Treatments: Behavioral: Community Connector; Behavioral: Peer Recovery Mentor; Behavioral: Peer Case Manager

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT01566513

1010007542

1R01MH091453 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The current study, through a randomized controlled design, will evaluate the effectiveness of peer support, as compared to usual care and to an equivalent amount of support offered by peer case managers and non-peer recovery mentors, in reducing hospital days and readmissions and in promoting recovery and community inclusion among adults with mental illnesses with histories of multiple hospitalizations. The current study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of adding peer support to the array of services available to persons with serious mental illnesses who have histories of multiple hospitalizations and will test a theoretical model of the active ingredients of peer support, focusing specifically on the roles of 1) instillation of hope through positive self-disclosure; 2) role modeling of self-care and exploring new ways of using experiential knowledge; and 3) a trusting relationship characterized by acceptance, understanding, and empathy with conditional regard.

Enrollment: 285 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 2 or more psychiatric hospitalizations in the past year
• A diagnosis of serious mental illness

Exclusion criteria

• Dementia or other organic condition limiting ability to provide informed consent

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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285 participants in 4 patient groups

Treatment as usual

No Intervention group

Community Connector

Experimental group

Description:

The participant randomized into this arm of the study is invited to work with a person trained as a community connector, who is trained in Intentional Peer Support but does not have a lived experience of mental illness.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Community Connector

Peer Recovery Mentor

Experimental group

Description:

A participant randomized into this arm of the study is offered the chance to work with a Peer Recovery Mentor, who is trained in Intentional Peer Support.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Peer Recovery Mentor

Peer Case Manager

Experimental group

Description:

If a participant is randomized into this condition, they are offered the chance to work with a Case Manager, who is trained in strengths-based case management.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Peer Case Manager