Peer support: time to tap the (largely) untapped

Abstract

There is growing evidence that the physical and mental health of people with, or at risk of, diabetes can benefit from support from a person with diabetes: known as diabetes peer support. Peer support involves the social and emotional help that supplements the assistance provided by health professionals and others in the life of the person with diabetes. By sharing, discussing, finding and facilitating the ways that can improve diabetes and overcome barriers to care and self-care, metabolic control and wellbeing can improve. Linking peer support to clinical care is thought to strengthen its effectiveness. Peer support complements diabetes education and facilitates implementation of the knowledge gained.There are a range of different ways in which peer support can be provided. Peer support might arise from a casual discussion with another person with diabetes or within a more structured programme. The degree of training can vary from life with diabetes in the casual encounter, to group leadership, to paraprofessional training including motivational interviewing and a range of educational and management skills. The media for delivery vary from face-to-face, telephone and online approaches.At a time of a growing diabetes epidemic, peer support could well be a key strategy in supporting those with and at risk of diabetes, reducing downstream demands on health services while improving quality of life. If this turns out to be the case, every neighbourhood, village and clinic should have one or more peer coaches to support diabetes prevention and diabetes management.

Meeting the Challenge of Diabetes in Ageing and Diverse Populations: A Review of the Literature from the UK

“…The evidence as it stands suggests that although it is possible to target diabetes interventions [81] and make cultural adaptations these have not been shown to be cost effective or to have fully addressed motivation as a key issue which requires a better understanding of culture and healthcare interactions at an individual and family as well as organisational level. Peer support interventions have been identified as a potentially effective way of achieving culturally competent care [82] but evidence is lacking from the UK of its usefulness with particular population groups [83, 84]. …”

Development and feasibility testing of an intervention to support active lifestyles in youths with type 1 diabetes—the ActivPals programme: a study protocol

“…Models of peer support [31], defined as ‘support from a person who has experiential knowledge of a specific behaviour or stressor and similar characteristics as the target populations’, will also be the key to the intervention. The ActivPals intervention will be tailored to the individual’s baseline activity, activity preferences and local opportunities.…”