The Power of Peer Support for Living Well With Depression
In the midst of all the headlines about the increasing prevalence of depression during the Covid-19 pandemic, I'm here to share some good news with you. There is an affordable, sustainable, and effective solution to the problem of increased rates of depression combined with a lack of mental health care providers: peer support.
Peer: (noun) one that is of equal standing with another; one belonging to the same group
Does Peer Support Help With Depression?
Yes! Peer support has been shown to effectively decrease symptoms and relapses of depression.
In fact, research shows that peer-led interventions score better than psychotherapy for depression recovery!
Some of the benefits of peer support for depression recovery include increased...
Hope,
Self-Efficacy,
Empowerment,
Engagement, and
Quality of Life.
Peer support has also been shown to increase engagement and reduce disparities in mental health care among Black and Latinx Americans who face systemic racism within, and historical exclusion from, the mental health care system.