Patient Focus Group Responses to Peer Mentoring in a High-Security Hospital

Peer mentoring programs in secure hospitals have attracted limited attention despite reported benefits of similar schemes within other mental health and prison services. High-secure hospital patient perspectives (N=17) on the concept of peer mentoring and the implications for establishing a peer support scheme were investigated via focus groups. Thematic analysis of discussions generated five themes: how to meet the adjustment and support needs of a peer; differences between mentoring and other relationships; mentoring by peers within a secure setting; expectations of a mentor's skills to meet the challenges of mentoring; and ownership of a mentoring scheme. The need to offset risk management against the potential benefits of peer support for a population excluded on the basis of risk is reviewed throughout.