PeerSupport

Peer support is a system of giving and receiving help based on shared experiences. It involves individuals who have lived experience with mental health challenges, addiction recovery, or other conditions providing emotional, informational, and practical support to others currently dealing with similar issues.

Peer support can be informal, such as friends offering support, or formal, provided by trained peer support specialists who are employed within healthcare, social services, schools, or community organizations. The approach emphasizes equality between peers, mutuality, and empowerment.

Roles include peer support workers, peer mentors, or recovery coaches, who may facilitate groups, provide one-on-one sessions, assist with navigation of services, and support goal setting. Settings include mental health services, substance use treatment, chronic illness management, education, and workplaces.

Core principles include voluntary participation, non-judgment, respect for lived experience, active listening, hope, and boundaries. Practices may involve storytelling, shared coping strategies, crisis support, and assistance with system navigation, always with consent and confidentiality, within professional guidelines in formal settings.

Evidence indicates peer support can improve engagement with services, reduce isolation, and enhance satisfaction, with potential benefits for symptom management and quality of life. However, results vary and peer support complements rather than replaces clinical treatment; implementation quality and fidelity matter.

Challenges include credentialing and funding, supervision and training standards, boundary management, risk assessment, and stigma toward peers. Ethical issues include confidentiality, dual relationships, and ensuring safety in remote or high-risk situations.

Related concepts include mutual aid, recovery coaching, and peer mentoring.