Peer providers in mental health, knowledge by experience, recovery processes, recovery oriented services and systems, positive psychology and recovery, mixed methods

My academic mission is to research and promote the personal recovery of people with severe mental illnesses (SMI) and system change in mental health

I seek to deepen theoretical understanding and relevant practical implications using multiple methods (qualitative and quantitative) and units of analysis (the person, service/intervention and systems) guided by positive psychology

Following my Ph.D in clinical psychology, I shifted focus to specialize in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery. I did a postdoctoral two-year fellowship at Boston University, Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. Ever since I continuously broaden international connections and collaborations with centers of excellence in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery (mostly English speaking, e.g. the U.S., UK and Australia, and some German speaking countries, e.g. Austria and Germany)

I strive to develop local Israeli capacities by promoting excellent students, collaborating with local stakeholders and intervention development, connecting Israeli stakeholders to the international contemporary state of the art in mental health and recovery

In research, I strive to contribute both to theoretical knowledge and implementing science of psychiatric rehabilitation, autonomy and recovery of individuals, services and communities in mental health

Moran G. S. & Alon, U. (2011). Playback Theater and Recovery in Mental Health: preliminary evidence. The Arts in Psychotherapy 38, 318–324

Moran, G. S., Russinova, Z., Gidugu, V., Yim, J.Y., Sprauge, C. (2012). Benefits and mechanisms of peer providers with mental illnesses. Qualitative Health Research 22(3), 304-319

Moran, G.S., Russinova, Z., and Stepas, K. (2012). Toward understanding the impact of occupational characteristics on the recovery and growth processes of peer-providers. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 35(5),376-380

Moran, G. S., Russinova, Z., Gidugu, V., Yim, J.Y., Gagne, C. (2013). Challenges experienced by paid peer providers in mental health recovery: A qualitative study. Community Mental Health Journal, 49(3), 281-291

Moran, G. S., & Nemec, P. (2013). Walking on the sunny side: What positive psychology can contribute to psychiatric rehabilitation. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 36(3), 202-208

Moran, G. S., Russinova, Z., Yim, J.Y., Sprauge, C. (2014). Motivations of Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities to Work in Mental Health Peer Services: A Qualitative Study Using Self-Determination Theory. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 24(1):32-41

Moran, G.S., Zisman-Ilani, Y., Garber-Epstein, P., Roe, D. (2014). Adaptation and psychometric assessment of the Hebrew Version of the Recovery Promoting Relationships Scale (RPRS). Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 37(1), 31-36

Moran, G. S., Oz, G., & Karnieli-Miller, O. (2014). Psychiatrists’ Challenges in Considering Disclosure of Schizophrenia Diagnosis in Israel. Qualitative Health Research, 24(10), 1368-80

Moran, G.S., Mashiach-Eizenberg, M., Roe, D., Berman, Y., Shalev, A., Kaplan, Z., & Epstein, P. G.
(2014). Investigating the anatomy of the helping relationship in the context of psychiatric rehabilitation: The relation between working alliance, providers’ recovery competencies and personal recovery. Psychiatry Research, 220(1-2), 592-597

Moran, G. S., Baruch, Y., Aziza, P., Lachman, M. Why mental health consumers who receive rehabilitation services - do not use them? Community Mental Health Journal, 2015 Jul 23. [Epub ahead of print]

Moran, G. S. & Russo-Netzer, P. (2016). Understanding Universal Elements in Mental Health Recovery A Cross-Examination of Peer Providers and a Non-Clinical Sample. Qualitative Health Research, 26
(2), 273-87

Moran, G. S., Baruch, Y., Lachman, M., Aziza, P. (2016). Why do mental health consumers who receive rehabilitation services are not using them? Community Mental Health Journal, Vol 52(7), 859-872

Bril-Barniv, S., Moran, G . S., Naaman, A., Roe, D., & Karnieli-Miller, O.PI (2017). A Qualitative Study Examining Experiences and Dilemmas in Concealment and Disclosure of People Living with Serious Mental Illness. Qualitative Health Research, 27(4), 573-583
DOI: 10.1177/1049732316673581

Russo-Netzer, P., Moran, G. S. (2016). Positive growth from adversity and beyond: Insights gained from cross-examination of clinical and non-clinical samples, American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, Online First Publication, November 7, 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ort0000224

Moran, G. S., Westman, K., Weissberg, E., Melamed, S. (2017). Perceived Assistance In Pursuing Personal Goals And Personal Recovery Among Mental Health Residents Across Housing Services. Psychiatry Research, 249, 94-101

Rommanelli, A., Tishbi, O., Moran, G. S. (2017). "Coming home to myself": A qualitative analysis of therapists' experiences and interventions following a training in theater improvisation skills. Arts in psychotherapy, 53, 12-22

Moran, G.S. (2018). The mental health consumer movement and peer providers in Israel (2018). Editorial. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, page 1-7. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/S2045796018000173

Moran, G. S. A recovery-oriented peer provider (ROPP) work-role model and prototype measure, American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, pages 346-368, Online First Publication, July 20, 2018.

Lavie-Ajayi, M., Moran, G. S., Levav, I., Porat, R., Reches, T., Goldfracht, M., Gal, G. (2018). Using the capabilities approach to understand inequality in primary health-care services for people with severe mental illness, Israel Journal of Health Policy Research, 7:49 open access https://doi.org/10.1186/s13584-018-0236-x

6. Kraus, E., Moran, G. S. (2019) When social work students meet workers with mental-health lived-experience: a case study, Social Work Education, DOI: 10.1080/02615479.2019.1593354

Puschner, B., Repper, J., Mahlke, C., Nixdorf, R., Basangwa, D., Nakku, J., Ryan, G., Baillie, D., Shamba, D., Ramesh, M., Moran, G. S., Lachman, M., Kalha, J., Pathare, J., Müller-Stierlin, A., Slade, M. (2019) Using Peer Support in Developing Empowering Mental Health Services (UPSIDES): Background, Rationale and Methodology. Annals of Global Health 85(1), 1-10. DOI: 10.5334/aogh.2435

Ibrahim, N., Thompson, D., Nixdorf, R., Kalha, J., Mpango, R., Moran, G. , Mueller Stierlin, A., Ryan, G., Mahlke, C., Shamba, D., Puschner, B., Repper, J., Slade, M. (2019). A systematic review of influences on implementation of peer support work for adults with mental health problems. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-019-01739-1

Romanelli, A., Moran, G. S., Tishby, O. (2019) I’mprovisation –Therapists’ Subjective Experience during Improvisational Moments in the Clinical Encounter, Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 29(3), 284-305. DOI: 10.1080/10481885.2019.1614836

Charles, A., Thompson, D., Nixdorf, R., Ryan, G., Shamba, D., Kalha, J., Moran, G., Hiltensperger, R., Mahlke, C., Puschner, B., Repper, J., Slade, M., Mpango, R. (2020). A typology of modifications to peer support work for adults with mental health problems: systematic review, British Journal of Psychiatry, 29:1-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2019.264


Moran G.S., Kalha J., Mueller-Stierlin, A.S., Kilian, R., Krumm, S., Slade, M., Charles, A., Mahlke, C., Nixdorf, R., Basangwa, D. , Nakku, J., Mpango, R., Ryan, G., Shamba, D., Ramesh, M., Ngakongwa, F., Grayzman, A., Pathare, S., Mayer, B., Puschner B. (2020). Peer support for people with severe mental illness versus usual care in high-, middle- and low-income countries: study protocol for a pragmatic, multicentre, randomised controlled trial (UPSIDES-RCT). Trials. 21(1):371. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-020-4177-7

Hochman L., Moran G.S., Gelkopf M., Roe D., Shadmi E. (2020). Prospectively identifying adults with serious mental illness at risk for poor physical health: The role of person reported outcomes. International Journal for Quality in Health Care https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzaa033

Research Projects

Implementation and assessment of peer specialists in psychiatric wards (with the Ministry of Health and National Security Institution)

Recovery attitudes and orientation of mental health staff in a psychiatric facility (with Beer-Sheva Mental Health Center)


2017-2019 The National Institute for Health Policy Research (NIHP): The transition from hostels to supportive communities: A study of mental health patient characteristics, provider perceptions and implications for rehabilitation outcomes. Moran G. S. PI, Hornik-Lurie, T. CPI, Anson, Y. C, (112,134 NIS, eq. 30,520$)

2018-2022 European Commission - Horizon 2020 (Research and Innovation in Action). Moran G.S. (PI in Beer-Sheva, Israel), Slade Mike (PI in Nottingham, UK), Ryan, G. (PI in London, UK), Mahlke, C. (PI in Hamburg, Germany), Basangwa, D. (PI in Kampala, Uganda), Shamba, D. (PI in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania), Kalha, J. (PI in Pune, India). Upscaling Peer Support development and empowerment, an international collaboration study of 9 countries in developed and developing countries (UPSIDES). Consortium director: Puschner Bernd, Ulm University, Germany. (374,000 Euros, approx. 415,000$)