The Canadian youth services system is fragmented with less than one third of youth accessing the mental health services they need. Experts have called for systems transformation that will increase the integration of youth services and take advantage of complementary services, such as peer supports. Further, researchers have suggested that there is a need to identify the unique contribution and underlying mechanisms that support client recovery within youth peer support interventions. This paper describes the steps taken to implement a hybrid realist and participatory evaluation examining peer support services for youth (14–26 years old) with mental health, physical health and/or substance use challenges. We describe the procedures followed to engage peers in the design of the study and how this was integrated with a realist approach. We also provide a detailed description of the related adaptations to the methods applied within the second stage of the study. Lessons learned through the integration of the two methods are provided as well as potential implications for the findings and related research.

加拿大的青年服务体系分散，只有不到三分之一的青年获得他们所需的精神卫生服务。专家们呼吁进行系统改造，这将增加青年服务的整合，并利用同伴支持等补充服务。此外，研究人员建议有必要在青年同伴支持干预措施中确定支持客户康复的独特贡献和潜在机制。本文介绍了实施混合现实主义者和参与性评估所采取的步骤，该评估研究了针对具有心理健康，身体健康和/或物质使用挑战的年轻人（14-26岁）的同伴支持服务。我们描述了使同伴参与研究设计所遵循的程序，以及如何将其与现实主义方法相结合。我们还提供了对在研究的第二阶段中应用的方法的相关修改的详细描述。提供了通过两种方法的集成获得的经验教训，以及对发现和相关研究的潜在启示。