This page contains a comprehensive list of all of the known and published research studies on peer respites in the United States, as of 2018. It is organized by study design, and restricted to research on interventions that fit the definition of a peer respite.
Studies with a control or comparison group
Impact of the 2nd Story Peer Respite Program on Use of Inpatient and Emergency Services. Psychiatric Services. (2015)
■ Average psychiatric hospital costs were $1,057 for respite-users compared with $3,187 for non-users
A Randomized Trial of a Mental Health Consumer-Managed Alternative to Civil Commitment for Acute Psychiatric Crisis. American Journal of Community Psychology. (2008)
■ Respite guests experienced greater improvements in self-esteem, self-rated mental health symptoms, and social activity functioning compared to individuals in inpatient facilities
Findings from a consumer/survivor defined alternative to psychiatric hospitalization. Outlook. (Vol. Spring 2002)
Qualitative Studies
Self-Reliance and Belonging: Guest Experiences of a Peer Respite. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. (2020)
A Case Study of a Peer Respite's Integration into a Public Mental Health System. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. (2020)
Organizational dynamics at a peer respite: A focused ethnography of an emergent strategy. Social Work in Mental Health. (2019)
Peer Respites: A Qualitative Assessment of Consumer Experience. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research. (2018)
Descriptive and observational studies
Characteristics of Peer Respites in the United States: Expanding the Continuum of Care for Psychiatric Crisis. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. (2021)
LA County Innovation Peer-Run Model Cost Analysis. Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH). (2016)
Innovation (INN) Program Evaluation of the Peer-Run Model. Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH). (2015)
The Impact of a Consumer Run Hospital Diversion Program on Quality of Life and Recovery: A Comparative Study. Albany, NY: College of Saint Rose Institute for Community Research and Training. (2009)
Evaluation of a peer‐run hospital diversion program: A descriptive study. American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation. (2011)
Commentaries and reviews
Development and Properties of a Measure Designed to Assess Core Competencies in Intentional Peer Support. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. (2021)
Peer Respites: A Research and Practice Agenda. Psychiatric Services. (2015)
The Peer Provider Workforce in Behavioral Health: A Landscape Analysis. San Francisco, CA: UCSF Health Workforce Research Center on Long-Term Care. (2015)
Sustaining Intentional Peer Support in Crisis Alternatives. (2011)
A Case Study of the Peer-Run Crisis Respite Organizing Process in Massachusetts. (2010)
Crisis and connection. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. (2003)