Effectiveness and experiences of online mental health peer support for young people: A systematic scoping review

Background: The prevalence of mental health conditions among young people is high and further increasing. Despite this considerable need, barriers remain to accessing and engaging with traditional mental health services. Online mental health peer support is increasingly popular among young people seeking help. However, research examining the effectiveness of online mental health peer support and user-centred experiences remains limited.<br/>Objective: This systematic scoping review aimed to synthesise research evidence on the effectiveness and experiences of online mental health peer support for young people, compare these across different forms, and identify possible applications of online peer support.<br/>Methods: We used five-staged framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley and revised by Levac et al. for this scoping review, and 3 reviewers screened the articles. The IBSS, SSCI, Scopus, PsycINFO, Medline and Social Policy and Practice databases were searched by title and abstract. Retrieved studies (n=8327) were double screened and 38 articles met the criteria to be included in the review. Studies were included if they focused on young people, aged up to and including 25 years; and the intervention was online peer support primarily aimed at supporting mental health.<br/>Results: The number of participants (posts/comments) in each study ranged from 10 to 36,934. 17 included studies reported the effectiveness of online peer support, with 28 studies reported the varying experiences from young users. This review summarised evidence on overall positive clinical outcomes as well as personal recovery outcomes (including improved social connectedness and other personal recovery outcomes), and multidimensional experiences of online mental health peer support (such as fostering resonance or fatigue).<br/>Conclusions: Overall, we found a positive impact of online mental health support on clinical and personal recovery outcomes. However, findings for personal experiences were mixed. Experiences are influenced by safety, anonymity, and the quality of peer interactions. These insights can inform its role alongside traditional services, attractive platform design and safeguarding. Future research should further explore the integration of online peer support, traditional services and various digital platforms to better address young people’s mental health needs and further examine the effectiveness as well as experiences in practice to maximise the peer support benefits and reduce risks.<br/>