SynthesisGeneral hospital psychiatry
Efficacy of peer support interventions for depression: a meta-analysis.
Synthesis in General hospital psychiatry. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 191 papers, 18 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Improving Depression Management Through Peer Support
Effectiveness of Group Versus Individual Self-management of Depression Using a Mobile App to Increase Treatment Adherence Among Users of a University-based Helpline in the Dominican Republic.
The Military Spouse Resiliency Group (MSRG) Peer Support Program: Equipping Families For Resiliency With Tools (EFFRT)
Who cites it
191 citing papers in PubMed, 18 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 480 citations in OpenAlex.
- Emotional and instrumental social support and older adults' depressive symptoms: collaborative individual participant data meta-analysis of 11 population-based studies of aging.American journal of epidemiology · 2025Pooled it
- Effect of breast cancer surgery on levels of depression and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC cancer · 2025Pooled it
- Is peer support beneficial for individuals with borderline personality disorder? Exploring its potential and challenges - a scoping review.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Barriers and facilitators of physical activity for individuals with depression: a systematic review within the socio-ecological model framework.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Pooled it
- Peer support interventions in patients with kidney failure: A systematic review.Journal of psychosomatic research · 2023Pooled it
- The effectiveness of peer support for individuals with mental illness: systematic review and meta-analysis.Psychological medicine · 2023Pooled it
- The effectiveness of peer support from a person with lived experience of mental health challenges for young people with anxiety and depression: a systematic review.BMC psychiatry · 2023Pooled it
- Peer support for carers and patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review.Systematic reviews · 2022Pooled it
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of group peer support interventions for people experiencing mental health conditions.BMC psychiatry · 2021Pooled it
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy for a variety of conditions: an overview of systematic reviews and panoramic meta-analysis.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2021Pooled it
- The effectiveness of one-to-one peer support in mental health services: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC psychiatry · 2020Pooled it
- Peer support interventions for individuals with acquired brain injury, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida: a systematic review.BMC health services research · 2019Pooled it
- Lay-led and peer support interventions for adolescents with asthma.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2017Pooled it
- Which aspects of health care are most valued by people living with HIV in high-income countries? A systematic review.BMC health services research · 2016Pooled it
- Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) 2016 Clinical Guidelines for the Management of Adults with Major Depressive Disorder: Section 2. Psychological Treatments.Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie · 2016Pooled it
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials of peer support for people with severe mental illness.BMC psychiatry · 2014Pooled it
- The impact of web-based approaches on psychosocial health in chronic physical and mental health conditions.Health education research · 2013Pooled it
- Consumer-providers of care for adult clients of statutory mental health services.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2013Pooled it
- Efficacy of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Online Self-Help Group for Depression and Suicide Ideation: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Trial
- A pilot randomized controlled trial comparing the feasibility and preliminary effects of different forms of exercise-related social support for older adult survivors of cancer.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Trial
131 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveTo assess the efficacy of peer support for reducing symptoms of depression.
methodsMedline, PsycINFO, CINAHL and CENTRAL databases were searched for clinical trials published as of April 2010 using Medical Subject Headings and free text terms related to depression and peer support. Two independent reviewers selected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared a peer support intervention for depression to usual care or a psychotherapy control condition. Meta-analyses were conducted to generate pooled standardized mean differences (SMD) in the change in depressive symptoms between study conditions.
resultsSeven RCTs of peer support vs. usual care for depression involving 869 participants were identified. Peer support interventions were superior to usual care in reducing depressive symptoms, with a pooled SMD of -0.59 (95% CI, -0.98 to -0.21; P=.002). Seven RCTs with 301 total participants compared peer support to group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). There was no statistically significant difference between group CBT and peer interventions, with a pooled SMD of 0.10 (95% CI, -0.20 to 0.39, P=.53).
conclusionBased on the available evidence, peer support interventions help reduce symptoms of depression. Additional studies are needed to determine effectiveness in primary care and other settings with limited mental health resources.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.