To disclose or not to disclose? Peer workers impact on a culture of safe disclosure for mental health professionals with lived experience

Abstract

The presence of peer workers in multi-disciplinary environments has rapidly increased in recent years, yet the impact of peer work on other mental health roles is largely unknown. This article explores the presence of peer workers within multi-disciplinary environments, with a specific focus on the possible impact of this presence on the culture of disclosure for mental health professionals with lived experiences of mental health challenges. Semi-structured focus groups and interviews were conducted with 132 participants at five organizations across the United States. Participants self-identified as being employed in a range of roles including management, mental health professionals, designated peer workers, and designated peer leadership positions. Findings suggest intentionally employing peers and using peer values to address stigma toward mental health professionals improves the culture of disclosure. In work environments where peer-led initiatives were featured, mental health professionals felt safer disclosing their own lived experience to their colleagues and supervisors. Recommendations include the use of parallel strategies to promote the perceived value of peers and to implement peer-led training for both supervisors and professionals to model a workplace culture that promotes and supports self-disclosure in the organization. Impact Statement—Mental health stigma impacts people employed as mental health professionals. Fear of disclosing lived experience of mental health challenges to colleagues or supervisors poses a risk to mental health professionals seeking help when needed. Peer roles can be used to facilitate the creation of safe spaces for mental health professionals to disclose their own lived experiences, and in turn, may also increase the perceived value of peer workers to mental health professionals. These strategies may contribute to decreasing stigma, contributing to safer workplaces for mental health professionals and ultimately, more effective, appropriate services for users.