Typology of online mental health peer support for young people: a systematic scoping review

Young people are the age group with the highest prevalence of mental health problems, yet they are the least likely to engage with traditional treatments for their symptoms. Online peer support can support youth mental health as a supplementary strategy. While there is a growing body of research focusing on specific forms of online peer support and their effectiveness, a clear classification of the types of online peer support is under-developed. The aim of this systematic scoping review was to identify and synthesise the existing peer-reviewed literature on online mental health peer support for young people to better understand the main characteristics of online peer support and develop a possible typology. The IBSS, SSCI, Scopus, PsycINFO, Medline and Social Policy and Practice databases were searched using title and abstract. Retrieved studies (n = 12,093) were double screened and 49 articles met the criteria to be included in the review. The systematic scoping review identified seven main characteristics and twenty-two sub-characteristics of online peer support. Based on those characteristics, three key distinguishing characteristics were identified which enabled a typology to be developed. It was therefore found that online peer support for youth mental health could be categorised into eight main types. The identified characteristics and typology provide an overall description of current online mental health peer support for young people. This typology can facilitate research on effectiveness and further developments in online peer support. It may also help young people explore the types of online support available to them. Further research should explore the mechanisms and effectiveness of online peer support.