Letters to my peers: an autoethnographical approach to a mental health peer worker experience

Letters to my peers: an autoethnographical approach to a mental health peer worker experience

A mental health peer worker (MHPW) is one who shares their journey of recovery from mental health issues or illness in order to inspire another person on their recovery journey. This relatively new discipline of mental health is becoming more widely accepted; however, there is little research detailing the MHPW experience. This qualitative research study used autoethnography to describe the lived experience of a MHPW working in a rural area of Queensland. Introspection, sociological imagination, and reflexive writing methods, are used by the researcher to convey what the MHPW is experiencing, from the emotions encountered to the fear of exposing vulnerabilities. This research study explores the actions, thought processes, and decisions made by a MHPW peer whilst assisting individuals who they are supporting on their recovery journey to better mental health in order to answer the research question: ‘What is the lived experience of a mental health peer worker?’ This research examines the process used to build working relationships, how their relationship differs to that of other mental health workers, and the contribution of MHPW to the recovery process for people with mental health concerns.