'Got to be the right fit, the right connection': a scoping review of the peer support experiences and perspectives of adults with acquired neurological disability.

BACKGROUND

Peer support for people with acquired neurological disability is gaining worldwide popularity, yet it is conceptually unclear what constitutes valuable peer interactions. To build a greater understanding from the lived experience perspective, this scoping review synthesised literature on how adults with acquired neurological disability experience and perceive peer support.

METHODS

Peer-reviewed literature published between 2013 and 2024 was identified through systematic searches of five databases. Thirty-two studies were included, covering a range of disabilities (e.g. acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis) and peer support forms (e.g. one-to-one, group, informal).

RESULTS

Analysis revealed that peer support participants perceive value across three domains: (1) capacity-building, (2) social connection, and (3) psychological adjustment. However, they can also experience frustrations and challenges that directly oppose these benefits. Suitable characteristics of peers and structures of peer programs, including acknowledgement of individual differences in the peer support experience, were identified as key to successful peer interactions.

CONCLUSIONS

Peer support holds multifaceted value for people with acquired neurological disability; however, it is also a complex intervention that carries risks and requires sensitivity to individual variation. Consideration of these dynamics should be embedded in the design of peer programs and pursuit of peer support research.