Clinical Research Directory

CLIENTS Inclusion Criteria (clients): * Age 18 to 65 years * Living in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland * Personally affected by a mental health problem or psychologically challenging situation * Admitted to counseling at Peerberatung St. Gallen through the regular intake process and received at least one counseling session during the 12-month data collection period * Informed consent Additional inclusion criterion for interviews (Aim 2): \- Completed counseling (single session up to the full course of six sessions) Exclusion Criteria (clients): * Not personally affected by a mental health problem (e.g. professionals or relatives/informal caregivers who use the service on behalf of others) * Not admitted to counseling at intake, i.e. persons who report suicidality, seek peer counseling as a substitute for clinical or psychiatric treatment, want to discuss treatment-specific questions such as medication, or seek support outside the scope of counseling (e.g. legal or financial assistance); these persons are referred to other services Inclusion Criteria (peers): * EX-IN-trained peer counselor actively delivering counseling at Peerberatung St. Gallen during the data collection period * Informed consent Exclusion Criteria (peers): \- Not actively delivering counseling at Peerberatung St. Gallen during the data collection period (e.g. extended leave or departure from the service) Inclusion Criteria (network partners): * Professional or organizational representative in the regional care network of Peerberatung St. Gallen, identified through the stakeholder analysis * Informed consent Exclusion Criteria (network partners): * Persons employed by or working for Peerberatung St. Gallen (peer counselors, project team, research team) * Persons without a professional or organizational role in the regional care network (e.g. private individuals) * Persons who use or have used the service as clients