Scoping review to evaluate the effects of peer support on the mental health of young adults

Scoping review to evaluate the effects of peer support on the mental health of young adults

ObjectivesYoung adults report disproportionality greater mental health problems compared with the rest of the population with numerous barriers preventing them from seeking help. Peer support, defined as a form of social-emotional support offered by an individual with a shared lived experience, has...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ open Vol. 12; no. 8; p. e061336
Main Authors: Richard, Jérémie, Rebinsky, Reid, Suresh, Rahul, Kubic, Serena, Carter, Adam, Cunningham, Jasmyn E A, Ker, Amy, Williams, Kayla, Sorin, Mark
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England British Medical Journal Publishing Group 04-08-2022
BMJ Publishing Group LTD
BMJ Publishing Group
Series:Original research
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
adult psychiatry
Anxiety
Child & adolescent psychiatry
depression & mood disorders
Drug use
Grief
Humans
Literature reviews
Loneliness
Mental depression
Mental disorders
Mental Health
Peer Group
Peer tutoring
Self esteem
Social isolation
Social Support
Stress
Suicides & suicide attempts
Systematic review
Teenagers
University students
Young Adult
Young adults
adult psychiatry
child & adolescent psychiatry
depression & mood disorders
mental health
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Summary:ObjectivesYoung adults report disproportionality greater mental health problems compared with the rest of the population with numerous barriers preventing them from seeking help. Peer support, defined as a form of social-emotional support offered by an individual with a shared lived experience, has been reported as being effective in improving a variety of mental health outcomes in differing populations. The objective of this scoping review is to provide an overview of the literature investigating the impact of peer support on the mental health of young adults.DesignA scoping review methodology was used to identify relevant peer-reviewed articles in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines across six databases and Google/Google Scholar. Overall, 17 eligible studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review.ResultsOverall, studies suggest that peer support is associated with improvements in mental health including greater happiness, self-esteem and effective coping, and reductions in depression, loneliness and anxiety. This effect appears to be present among university students, non-student young adults and ethnic/sexual minorities. Both individual and group peer support appear to be beneficial for mental health with positive effects also being present for those providing the support.ConclusionsPeer support appears to be a promising avenue towards improving the mental health of young adults, with lower barriers to accessing these services when compared with traditional mental health services. The importance of training peer supporters and the differential impact of peer support based on the method of delivery should be investigated in future research.
Bibliography:Original research
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ISSN:2044-6055
2044-6055
DOI:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061336