Peer Edmonton Empathy Recruitment Scale (PEERS): A Tool for Student Peer Support Worker Selection and Empathy Measurement

Authors

Keywords:

Peer Support, Peer Counselling, Mental Health, University Mental Health, Counselling, Empathy

Abstract

Canadian universities increasingly emphasize student peer support services as a mental health treatment option. These services, composed of peer support workers (PSWs), reduce professional counselling admissions and treatment costs. The process of selecting PSWs, however, has historically been unstandardized, leading to difficulties with the assessment of ideal workers for these helping roles. To help Canadian postsecondary mental health initiatives recruit PSWs, we developed a brief nonclinical postsecondary student empathy scale that reliably identifies suitable PSWs in a student population. In this study, we discuss the strong psychometric validity and reliability of the Peer Edmonton Empathy Recruitment Scale and its utility for Canadian universities.

Author Biography

Jonathan D. Dubue, University of Alberta

Jonathan Dubue is a Masters of Education in Counselling Psychology (Thesis) Student and a Teaching Fellow at the University of Alberta. Having recently completed a Bachelors of Science in Honours Psychology, Jonathan works to mould his interests in assessment, psychotherapy, suicide, and feedback in his research. Jonathan has also worked for various counselling centres across Edmonton Alberta, and is currently working to become a licensed psychologist.

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Published

2018-03-25

How to Cite

Dubue, J. D., Cheng, J. C. K., Vuong, W., & Westbury, C. (2018). Peer Edmonton Empathy Recruitment Scale (PEERS): A Tool for Student Peer Support Worker Selection and Empathy Measurement. Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 52(2). Retrieved from https://dev.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/rcc/article/view/61188

Issue

Section

Brief Report/ Rapport sommaire