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Shaping Professional Role in Peer Support: A Qualitative Study of a Training Process
Michele Rocelli1, Ludovica Aquili2, Diego Romaioli3
1FISPPA, University of Padua, Padova, Italy. michele.rocelli@unipd.it.
Community Mental Health Journal
|August 9, 2026
Summary
The first national Experience Involvement (Ex-In) training for peer support workers in Italy transformed lived experience into professional knowledge. Challenges included emotional sustainability and boundary management, highlighting the need for tailored training and support.
Area of Science:
- Mental Health Services Research
- Qualitative Health Research
- Professional Training and Development
Background:
- The peer support worker (PSW) role is emerging in Italy, lacking formal institutionalization.
- The national Ex-In (Experience Involvement) training programme was developed to equip PSWs with essential skills.
- Evaluating this pioneering national training is crucial for understanding PSW integration in mental health services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To qualitatively explore the first national Ex-In training programme for PSWs in Italy.
- To understand how participants transformed lived experience into professional knowledge and identity.
- To identify facilitators and challenges in PSW training and integration within Italian mental health services.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews with 18 PSWs.
- Participant observation during two residential training weekends.
- Six-month follow-up telephone survey on employment status.
- Data analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis within an interpretive framework.
Main Results:
- Three key themes emerged: transformation of lived experience to situated knowledge, navigating proximity and professional boundaries, and understanding the PSW role as mediator/advocate.
- Participants reported enhanced self-awareness, recognition of recovery, and strengthened professional identity.
- Challenges included emotional sustainability, managing self-disclosure, and maintaining autonomy in the mediating role.
Conclusions:
- The Ex-In training successfully facilitated the professionalization of lived experience for PSWs.
- Effective integration requires context-specific training, support for interprofessional collaboration, ongoing supervision, and improved job stability.
- Addressing identified challenges is vital for sustainable PSW roles in Italian mental health services.
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