Bridging care in brain injury rehabilitation: A reflexive thematic analysis of staff perspectives on the role of peer support.

OBJECTIVES

Peer support roles are well established in mental health services, yet their integration into neurorehabilitation remains limited. This study offers novel insight into how staff perceive the opportunities and challenges of introducing a peer support worker role into a community brain injury service.

DESIGN

Using qualitative interviews and focus groups with clinical and support staff, we explored understandings of the role, its perceived value and contextual barriers to implementation.

METHODS

Participants included eight staff members (100% female; Mage = 49.88). Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Rigour was ensured through pre-registration, triangulated coding discussions and reflexive analytic practices.

RESULTS

Three themes were constructed: the perfect candidate, context for success and connecting care. Findings highlighted the unique value of lived experience in fostering trust, hope and engagement, while also revealing neuro-specific challenges relating to cognition, behaviour and role boundaries. Staff emphasized the need for tailored recruitment, training and supervision frameworks distinct from existing mental health models.

CONCLUSIONS

The study is significant in being the first to systematically examine the adaptation of peer support to neurorehabilitation, offering evidence to guide service development and policy. Collectively, the findings underscore both the transformative potential and the structural requirements of embedding peer support within neurorehabilitation contexts.