SynthesisEpidemiology and psychiatric sciences2025
The effects of digital peer support interventions on physical and mental health: a review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effects of Internet-Based Lifestyle Interventions on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Canadian journal of gastroenterology & hepatology · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy of a Digital Peer Support Program on Weight Management and Mental Health in University Students With Preobesity: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Trial
- Experiences of mHealth use in head and neck cancer care: a thematic synthesis guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Review
- Online Peer Support for Gambling Harm: Perspectives from People with Lived Experience and Service Providers.Journal of gambling studies · 2026Article
- Implementing sleep apnea care to improve positive airway pressure adherence here and across the pond.American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine · 2026Article
- Lived Experiences of Long COVID in Iranian Immigrants in Canada: Implications for Post-Infection Care and Global Health Equity.Iranian journal of medical sciences · 2026Article
- Health and social care workers perceptions of and experiences with virtual peer support: a qualitative study applying the Levesque Framework.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Use of Digital Peer Support for Employee Well-Being: Retrospective Analysis Across Five Large Employers.JMIR human factors · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of Hybrid AI and Human Suicide Detection Within Digital Peer Support.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Effectiveness and Experiences of Online Mental Health Peer Support for Young People: Systematic Scoping Review.JMIR mental health · 2026Review
- Mental health in digital microsystems across three Asian Reddit communities.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- The association between digital peer support and mental health outcomes in university students: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Shedding light on mental health problems and potential solutions for young women: results from an anonymous asynchronous online focus group.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Peer Support for Women with Heart Disease: Program Description and Evaluation of Women@Heart.CJC open · 2025Article
- How electronic health literacy influences physical activity behaviour among university students: A moderated mediation model.PloS one · 2025Article
- Achieving clinically meaningful outcomes in digital health: a six-step, cyclical precision engagement framework (ENGAGE).Frontiers in digital health · 2025Article
- Article
- Facebook as an arena for peer support?-Knowledge exchange and normative illness narratives about stroke.Digital healthArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimsDigital peer support interventions have the potential to promote healthy lifestyles and better mental health. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes evidence on the effectiveness of digital peer support interventions for enhancing physical and mental health in healthy individuals rather than those diagnosed with a clinical condition.
methodsFirst, we evaluated the impact of digital peer support interventions on physical and mental health outcomes by attending to sources of peer support (informal, naturally occurring peer support; formal support from trained peers), effectiveness demonstrated through different study designs (pre-post comparison vs. well-controlled experimental conditions) and long-term effects of interventions. Second, we examined whether features of digital peer support interventions - specifically, dosage, uptake and platform affordances - moderated intervention effectiveness. Third, we considered moderating effects of individual differences (age and existing health conditions) and country.
resultsUsing random-effects modelling, which included 47 studies with 76 effect sizes on physical health, and 73 studies with 118 effect sizes on mental health, we found a moderate effect of digital peer support in improving physical health (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.35,
conclusionsOur findings contribute to the nascent conceptual models of digital peer support, lend credence to digital peer support as a scalable preventive intervention with real-world benefits in bolstering individuals' physical and mental health and provide important insights into best practices.
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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.