Online peer support training to promote adolescents’ emotional support skills, mental health and agency during COVID-19: Randomised controlled trial and qualitative evaluation

Abstract

Adolescents often look to their peers for emotional support, so it is critical that they are prepared to take on a supportive role, especially during a health crisis. Using a randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN99248812, 28/05/2020), we tested the short-term efficacy of an online training programme to equip young people with skills to support to their peers’ mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2020, one-hundred UK adolescents (aged 16–18) recruited through social media were randomly allocated (1:1) to immediate 5-day peer support training or a wait-list, via an independently generated allocation sequence. Primary outcomes were indicators of ability to help others (motivation, perceived skills, frequency of help provided, compassion to others and connectedness to peers). Secondary outcomes included emotional symptoms, mental wellbeing, and indicators of agency (civic engagement and self-efficacy). We also collected qualitative reports of participants’ experience. Assessments were completed at baseline and 1 week post randomisation (primary endpoint), and up to 4 weeks post randomisation (training group only). The training increased support-giving skills, frequency of providing support, compassion and peer connectedness (medium–large-effect sizes), but not motivation to provide support, 1 week post randomisation, compared to controls. Gains in the training group were maintained 4 weeks post randomisation. Training also improved adolescents’ mental health and agency, and qualitative reports revealed further positive outcomes including increased self-care and empowerment. Leveraging digital platforms that are familiar to young people, peer support training has the potential to enable adolescents to support their own and their peers’ mental wellbeing during a health crisis.

Digitization in health-related self-help – Results of an online survey among self-help organizations in Germany

“…In principle, mutual aid and peer support also work online, 13 especially during the pandemic. 14 – 18 Ultimately, however, it depends on the people, which form of mutual support they prefer. 19 , 20 …”

Developing a novel co‐produced methodology to understand ‘real‐world’ help‐seeking in online peer–peer communities by young people experiencing emotional abuse and neglect

“…Thus, compassionate responding through supportive connections to others may serve to enhance the help‐seeker's self‐worth enabling their own motivation for self‐compassion through mutual exchange. Evidence from a study of online peer support training suggests that being trained to offer peer support can enhance compassion for others, and also realize self‐care and well‐being within the peer supporter 55 . YCoR themselves noted ‘supporting the supporters’ on the message boards as equally important, since many peer supporters are/were help‐seekers themselves with similar experiences.…”

“…supportive connections to others may serve to enhance the help-seeker's self-worth enabling their own motivation for self-compassion through mutual exchange. Evidence from a study of online peer support training suggests that being trained to offer peer support can enhance compassion for others, and also realize self-care and well-being within the peer supporter 55. YCoR them-…”

Co‐production to understand online help‐seeking for young people experiencing emotional abuse and neglect: Building capabilities, adapting research methodology and evaluating involvement and impact

“…had recruited and worked with members of the established NeurOX YPAG, 9 months before study start on a range of advisory and coproduction projects. 21,38 The researcher had experience of recruiting and working with children and YP as research participants, and youth sector voluntary work. It was estimated that the YCoR collectively contributed over 130 h to the research project over 3 months, and additional hours for dissemination activities (including during a paid work experience week).…”