Adaptation and Implementation of Peer Support to Improve Engagement and Outcomes for People With Serious Mental Illness in Campinas, Brazil

What this Trial Is About

Mental disorders are a major cause of disability worldwide, including in Brazil, where only about 26% of people with psychiatric conditions successfully connect to community-based mental health care despite the availability of free, publicly-funded services. This research aims to adapt and implement an evidence-based peer support model tailored to Brazilian culture to help people with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) engage better with care, improve continuity, and enhance quality of life and wellbeing. The study involves local stakeholders and uses a participatory design to ensure the intervention fits the community's needs. The study focuses on adapting a peer support intervention that connects individuals with SMI to peers who can help them engage in post-acute mental and physical healthcare. This culturally responsive, low-cost model will be tested for feasibility, acceptability, safety, and tolerability in Campinas, Brazil. The intervention aims to provide improved post-acute support and encourage ongoing participation in community mental health treatment. Participants will be adults aged 18 or older receiving acute care services in Campinas. Researchers will assess changes in engagement in care at baseline and at 6, 9, and 12 months follow-up. Outcomes include levels of engagement, continuity of care, quality of life, and wellbeing. The study also seeks to establish a model for adapting evidence-based practices in low- and middle-income countries and foster international collaboration for future implementation trials.

Adaptation and Implementation of Peer Support in Brazil