Abstract
Short title of the paper …
Introduction: Peer support has increasingly been integrated
into youth mental health programs globally. Peer support workers are an
important ally in an individual’s recovery journey, providing both
emotional and instrumental support and advocacy through their lived
experiences. Objectives: To conduct a scoping review examining
peer support services for youth with mental health concerns.
Methods: This scoping review was prospectively registered with
The Open Science Framework and followed the PRISMA scoping review
extension checklist. In consultation with a health services librarian,
seven electronic databases (i.e., MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, SocINDEX,
ERIC, CINHAL, and Education Research Complete) were searched from
inception to May 2023. Two blinded reviewers chose peer-reviewed studies
for inclusion in this scoping review if the research examined youth with
mental health concerns that were involved in a peer support intervention
or program. Results: After duplicate references were removed,
4,001 titles and abstracts were screened. In total, 70 studies met the
inclusion criteria for this scoping review. A total 11147 youth (mean
age 19.5 years) were identified as receiving peer support. About half
the studies examined peer support service or program only (34/70; 49%).
In others, peer support was examined alongside elements such as group
therapy (29/70; 41%), goal setting (5/70; 7%), and
cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) (5/70; 7%). Peer support services
were identified as being significantly effective in treating mental
health concerns in 81% (57/70) of studies. Conclusion: This
scoping review demonstrated the ability of peer support services in
aiding young people with mental health needs. Offering peer support may
help mitigate future mental health problems in adulthood and increase
quality of life.