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Research Objectives
Peer-mentorship is an important accompaniment to occupational therapy practice, integrating
lived expertise of practical and social-emotional knowledge. However, there is a paucity
of research on peer-mentorship among individuals with lower-limb loss living in small
communities. The objective of this study was to identify the impact of peer-mentorship
during the amputation process and the adjustment to life afterward within small communities.
Design
Qualitative description.
Setting
Small communities through use of telephone and video conferencing.
Participants
Study participants (n=8) were 19 years of age or older with lower-limb loss who lived
in a small community and had experience as either a peer-mentor, or mentee.
Interventions
Peer-mentorship program for people with lower-limb loss.
Main Outcome Measures
Participants completed a 60-90 minute one-on-one semi-structured interview. Data was
transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically.
Results
Our analysis identified the following themes: (i) “satisfying an unmet need” explores
the desire for individuals to learn from others who have similar experiences living
with lower-limb loss; (ii) “improving independence” describes the unique guidance
offered by peer-mentors for returning to daily activities and building self-efficacy;
(iii) “friendship” examines peer-mentors’ unique therapeutic delivery and how it provided
long-lasting accessible guidance in small communities, and (iv) “advocating for supports
and resources” examines how peer-mentors fulfilled support roles to navigate healthcare
and community services.
Conclusions
This study demonstrates the role peer-mentorship has toward improving recovery outcomes
and social enablement during adjustment to lower-limb loss. Occupational therapists
may consider collaborating with peer mentors for person-centered initiatives following
lower limb loss in small communities.
Author(s) Disclosures
No conflict of interests to declare.
Keywords
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Copyright
© 2022 Published by Elsevier Inc.
