Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36804731›Full record

ReviewBMJ global health2023

The effectiveness and sustainability of peer support interventions for persons living with HIV: a realist synthesis.

Shuyu Han, Yizhu Zhang, Xianxia Yang, Xinru Chai, Jinzheng Guo, Lili Zhang, Ying Shao, Jianhong Ma, Ke Li, Zhiwen Wang

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in BMJ global health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Shuyu Han *School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0000-0002-2506-6888
Yizhu Zhang *School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Xianxia YangSchool of Public Health, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
Xinru ChaiSchool of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Jinzheng GuoSchool of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Lili ZhangDepartment of Nursing, Beijing Youan Hospital Affiliated with Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Ying ShaoDepartment of Infection, Beijing Youan Hospital Affiliated with Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Jianhong MaDepartment of Infection, Beijing Youan Hospital Affiliated with Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Ke LiDepartment of Emergency, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Zhiwen WangSchool of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China wzwjing@sina.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPeer support is an important supplement to medical resources for persons living with HIV (PLHIV). However, previous studies have shown mixed results about intervention effects. It is necessary to explain the mechanism of peer support interventions' effectiveness and sustainability to help design more valid peer support interventions.

objectiveTo identify and explain the mechanisms that drive the effectiveness and maintain the sustainability of peer support interventions.

methodsA preliminary theoretical framework was developed through a scoping review of the grey literature and international project frameworks in five professional websites. We then refined the framework by systematically searching evidence in databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, ProQuest, CINAHL, CNKI and Wanfang. Qualitative methods were used to generate codes and themes relating to the studies' context, mechanisms and outcomes. We checked chains of inference (connections) across extracted data and themes through an iterative process.

resultsA total of 6345 articles were identified, and 52 articles were retained for final synthesis. The refined theoretical framework presents five areas of peer support, including informational support, instrumental support, emotional support, affiliational support and appraisal support; five types of outcomes that peer support can improve for PLHIV, including physiological outcomes, psychological outcomes, behavioural outcomes, cognitive outcomes and social outcomes; the effectiveness mechanism coding system from peer volunteers and the relationship between peer volunteers and PLHIV; and the sustainability mechanism coding system in terms of peer volunteers, PLHIV and study context.

conclusionsGiven that peer support has huge potential human resources, that is, all the qualified PLHIV, irreplaceable advantages in dealing with barriers to HIV-related discrimination and potential comprehensive benefits for PLHIV, it is necessary to develop and organise more peer support projects for PLHIV. Our study highlights that the expansion of peer support projects should be based on their effectiveness and sustainability. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42022339079.

Indexed as

HIV InfectionsSocial SupportHumansPeer GroupVolunteersAIDSHIVsystematic review

Identifiers

PMID36804731
PMCPMC9943909

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.