Peer Support Specialist Services in Suicide Prevention

Peer support specialist services aimed at reducing suicide risk are becoming more prominent in professional roles in healthcare systems and community settings. Such services may directly or indirectly contribute to suicide prevention efforts. Despite some evidence suggesting the feasibility and acceptability of this strategy, major research gaps exist regarding effectiveness and sustained implementation success. The National Institute of Mental Health convened a 2-day workshop in February 2024 to inform the field on the state of the science in peer support suicide prevention research. This summary presents several cross-cutting challenges in research on peer support in suicide prevention and how they can be addressed.