Peer delivered services and peer support for people living with bipolar disorder: A scoping review protocol

Abstract

Background: Numerous barriers exist to accessing treatment for bipolar disorder (BD). Peer support interventions may help increase the availability and acceptability of supports for people living with BD, and may be particularly well-suited for improving recovery and quality of life. There is evidence to support the potential of peer support interventions for improving wellbeing, clinical outcomes, and access to care. However, to date, no reviews of peer support interventions have specifically focused on BD. This scoping review aims to describe the experience and impacts of peer support for BD. Methods and analysis: A scoping review will be conducted following the frameworks of Levac et al. (2010), based on the foundational work of Arksey and O'Malley (2005). To investigate the quantitative and qualitative evidence for peer support interventions in BD, we will search MEDLINE (via Ovid), EMBASE (via Ovid), and PsycINFO (via EBSCOhost) using terms related to peer support and BD (developed through review of the previous literature and consultation with a medical librarian). All study designs reporting qualitative or quantitative data on the impacts and experiences of peer support for people with BD will be included. Extracted data will include study characteristics, participant demographics, key characteristics of the intervention, outcomes, and subjective experiences. Discussion: This review is expected to provide evidence to support healthcare decision makers by identifying promising peer support interventions for BD. We anticipate that scoping review findings will guide future research to help build a stronger evidence base for the development, evaluation, and implementation of peer support interventions for this population