# Exploring the attitudes of mental health professionals toward recovery and peer support in Taiwan

## TL;DR

This study explores how mental health professionals in Taiwan view recovery and peer support, highlighting both acceptance and challenges in non-Western mental health care.

## Contribution

It provides novel insights into professionals' perspectives on recovery and peer support in a non-Western context, specifically Taiwan.

## Key findings

- Professionals in Taiwan generally embrace recovery principles but show inconsistencies in applying them to diverse individuals.
- Peer support in Taiwan is largely informal, with environmental factors and personal preparation for peer workers being key concerns.
- The study identifies six subthemes of attitudes toward recovery and four types of peer support roles.

## Abstract

While many Western countries have implemented mental health recovery-oriented and peer support services, they are still in the early stages of development in Taiwan, and the existing literature on professionals’ perspectives regarding recovery-related issues in non-Western contexts remains limited. This study investigates the perspectives of professionals from well-established psychiatric rehabilitation organizations in Taiwan on the concept of recovery and peer support.

Data were collected through semi-structured interviews involving 19 professionals from nine organizations, which were then recorded and transcribed verbatim. Subsequently, the data were coded using Atlas.ti 8.0, followed by thematic analysis.

The analyses identified three main themes. First, attitudes toward recovery encompassed six subthemes: (1) coexisting with illness while finding personal fulfillment, (2) exercising one’s rights and taking personal responsibility, (3) maintaining hope throughout the recovery journey, (4) recognizing the non-linear nature of recovery, (5) acknowledging the individuality of each recovery path, and (6) affirming that recovery is achievable for all. Additionally, four types of peer support were identified: supportive peer, staff assistant, life assistant, and mental health workforce. Furthermore, perspectives on peer support workers included four subthemes: (1) attitudes toward people with mental illness, (2) the need for a robust career support system, (3) organizational and professional support, and (4) self-awareness of people with mental illness.

This study is one of the few that explore the perspectives of professionals on recovery and peer support in non-Western contexts. Professionals from well-established psychiatric rehabilitation organizations in Taiwan embraced most mental health recovery principles, but inconsistencies were found regarding the applicability of recovery to different individuals. Peer support in Taiwan remains largely informal, with concerns primarily focused on environmental factors. However, one personal factor is also critical. People with mental illness in non-Western contexts may require more extensive preparation to serve as peer support workers.