PERANAN RAKAN SEBAYA SEBAGAI SUMBER SOKONGAN SOSIAL DALAM KALANGAN INDIVIDU DENGAN MASALAH KESIHATAN MENTAL

ROLE OF PEERS AS A SOURCE SOCIAL SUPPORT AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS

Abstract

Masalah kesihatan mental boleh menjejaskan pelbagai aspek kehidupan individu, termasuk kesejahteraan psikologi, hubungan interpersonal dan keupayaan menjalankan aktiviti seharian. Selain rawatan profesional, proses pemulihan turut dipengaruhi oleh sokongan sosial yang diterima daripada persekitaran terdekat, khususnya rakan sebaya. Sehubungan itu, kajian ini bertujuan meneroka bentuk sokongan sosial yang diterima oleh individu dengan masalah kesihatan mental serta meneliti peranan rakan sebaya dalam menyokong proses pemulihan mereka. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan reka bentuk eksploratori bagi meneroka pengalaman individu dengan masalah kesihatan mental berkaitan sokongan sosial, khususnya peranan rakan sebaya dalam proses pemulihan melalui temu bual separa berstruktur terhadap enam orang informan yang dipilih menggunakan kaedah persampelan bertujuan. Data dianalisis menggunakan analisis tematik bagi mengenal pasti tema utama berdasarkan pengalaman informan. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa rakan sebaya berperanan sebagai sumber sokongan sosial yang signifikan melalui sokongan emosi, motivasi, penerimaan tanpa stigma, bantuan praktikal dan usaha mengurangkan pengasingan sosial. Walau bagaimanapun, sebahagian informan turut melaporkan kekurangan sokongan keluarga dan pengalaman berhadapan dengan stigma masyarakat yang menjejaskan kesejahteraan psikologi mereka. Kajian ini menyimpulkan bahawa rakan sebaya berfungsi sebagai pemudah cara kepada proses pemulihan dengan membantu meningkatkan keyakinan diri, mengurangkan rasa keseorangan dan memperkukuhkan kesejahteraan psikologi individu. Justeru, pembangunan program sokongan rakan sebaya yang lebih sistematik disarankan sebagai pelengkap kepada perkhidmatan kesihatan mental sedia ada bagi membantu pemulihan secara lebih menyeluruh.

Mental health problems can affect various aspects of an individual’s life, including psychological well-being, interpersonal relationships, and the ability to carry out daily activities. In addition to professional treatment, the recovery process is also influenced by social support received from individuals’ immediate environment, particularly peers. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the forms of social support received by individuals with mental health problems and to examine the role of peers in supporting their recovery process. This study employed a qualitative approach with an exploratory design to investigate the experiences of individuals with mental health problems in relation to social support, with particular emphasis on the role of peers in the recovery process. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six informants selected through purposive sampling. The data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify key themes based on the informants’ experiences. The findings showed that peers played a significant role as a source of social support through emotional support, motivation, non-stigmatising acceptance, practical assistance, and efforts to reduce social isolation. However, some informants also reported limited family support and experiences of societal stigma that adversely affected their psychological well-being. The study concludes that peers function as facilitators of recovery by helping to enhance self-confidence, reduce feelings of loneliness, and strengthen individuals’ psychological well-being. Therefore, the development of more systematic peer support programmes is recommended as a complement to existing mental health services in promoting a more comprehensive recovery process.