Effectiveness of the Veteran X peer-led mental health recovery program: A quasi-experimental study

The inclusion of peer-delivered services in organizations providing behavioral health care has significantly increased in recent years, and substantial resources are being directed toward implementing recovery-oriented mental health services using peer-provided programs. Previous research found that participants in such programs have improved recovery outcomes. While there are demonstrated positive associations between recovery outcomes and peer-provided services, there is limited research on the effectiveness of specific peer-provided interventions. Veteran X is a peer-led program developed in the Department of Veterans Affairs in which participants serve as a recovery team for a fictitious Veteran who faces numerous social and mental health issues. This study compared the effectiveness of the Veteran X program with treatment as usual on measures of recovery wellbeing, symptoms and functioning, and risk and protective factors for substance use disorders.

Participants were recruited (N = 80) over a period of ten months, and had self-selected into treatment as usual (TAU, N = 37), or treatment as usual plus Veteran X (N = 43).

No baseline differences were found on the pretest measures. Both groups improved on all measures after 60 days of participation, however Veteran X participants improved significantly more than TAU participants on the measures of recovery wellbeing and symptoms and functioning.

The results of this study appear to support the positive contribution of the Veteran X program in improving recovery wellbeing and symptoms and functioning among participating veterans. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).