Program evaluation of a student-led peer support service at a Canadian university

A systematic scoping review of peer support interventions in integrated primary youth mental health care

Peer support, defined as the social and emotional support offered and received by individuals with a shared experience of mental health difficulties, is gaining popularity in youth mental health settings. This systematic scoping review aimed to collate and synthesise the evidence on key aspects of peer support interventions within integrated youth services and educational settings. Specifically, it synthesised evidence on the (1) assessed mental health outcomes in peer support interventions, (2) key characteristics and associated roles of peer support workers (PSWs) and (3) barriers and facilitators to implementation. A search of peer reviewed articles from January 2005 to June 2022 across five electronic databases (PsychINFO, Pubmed, Scopus, ERIC and CINAHL) was conducted. A total of 15 studies retrieved in the search met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. This review supports previous research indicating that peer support has potential for improving recovery related outcomes. While a variety of interventions and PSW roles were reported, studies could be strengthened by providing more in-depth information on intervention content. Examples of barriers to implementation included staff concerns around confidentiality of peer support relationships as well as PSWs' confidence in their roles. Facilitators included positive support from staff members and role clarity.

A systematic review of peer support interventions for student mental health and well-being in higher education

BACKGROUND

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are seeking effective ways to address the rising demand for student mental health services. Peer support is widely considered a viable option to increase service capacity; however, there are no agreed definitions of peer support, making it difficult to establish its impact on student mental health and well-being.

AIMS

This systematic review aims to better understand and evaluate peer support in HEIs.

METHOD

Five databases, OpenGrey and Grey Matters were searched in May 2021. Included studies were quantitative, longitudinal (with and without a control) or cross-sectional with a control. The vote-counting method was used for synthesis. The risk of bias was assessed with the National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool.

RESULTS

Three types of peer support were represented in 28 papers: peer-led support groups, peer mentoring and peer learning. Peer learning and peer mentoring had more positive, significant results reported for the outcomes of anxiety and stress. Peer-led support groups were the only type targeting students with mental health difficulties.

CONCLUSIONS

The heterogeneity of measures and outcomes prevents firm conclusions on the effectiveness of peer support for mental health and well-being. Most studies were rated 'poor' or 'fair' in their risk of bias. There is not a solid evidence base for the effectiveness of peer support. Nonetheless, HEIs can use the terminology developed in this review for shared discussions that guide more robust research and evaluation of peer support as an intervention.

Study-related wellbeing, behavior, and attitudes of university students in the Netherlands during emergency remote teaching in the context of COVID-19: A longitudinal study

Introduction

During the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency remote teaching was implemented at all conventional Dutch universities; however, the degree of limitations in on-campus teaching and learning varied during the pandemic dependent on the strictness of the measures. In the present study, it will be investigated how study-related experiences of university students changed in the face of varying limitations in on-campus teaching and learning.

Methods

The study had a longitudinal natural experiment design with three points of measurement during the academic year 2020-2021: November-December 2020 (t1; campuses partially open), March 2021 (t2; campuses fully closed) and June-July 2021 (t3; campuses partially open). In total, 680 Dutch university students (65.9% female; age: M = 21 years, SD = 2.06) filled in online surveys measuring study-related wellbeing (academic burnout and study-engagement), study-related behavior (study effort), and study-related attitudes (education satisfaction, online self-efficacy, and attitudes toward online education).

Results

Overall, students reported moderate levels of academic burnout, study engagement, study effort, education satisfaction, and online self-efficacy; their attitudes toward online education were rather negative. Students' study-related wellbeing and education satisfaction decreased in the period when on-campus teaching and learning was impossible (t2) compared to periods in which on-campus teaching and learning was possible at a low level with several restrictions (t1 and t3). Students' attitudes toward online education and online self-efficacy slightly increased at the end of the academic year (t3); however, the attitudes toward online education remained negative.

Discussion

The findings indicate that students' academic burnout, study engagement, and education satisfaction varied over the course of the academic year in the context of changing limitations in on-campus teaching and learning. To facilitate positive study-related experiences, universities are advised to offer as much on-campus education as possible in times of pandemics.

Effectiveness of a community-based peer support service among persons suffering severe mental illness in China

Background

Community-based peer support service is widely and effectively deployed for persons suffering severe mental illness (SMI) in countries with well-developed outpatient mental health systems. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a 1-year peer service project among persons with SMI implemented in China.

Methods

A total of 101 consumers (service recipients) and 66 family caregivers were recruited at baseline from communities located in Beijing and Chengdu. Severity of psychiatric symptoms, personal and social functioning, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and medication adherence were evaluated among consumers. Self-esteem, life satisfaction, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were assessed among family caregivers. Participants were reevaluated at 1 year with the same measures. Changes in outcomes from baseline to 1-year follow-up were examined using paired sample t tests or Stuart-Maxwell tests.

Results

Consumers' psychiatric symptoms were decreased at 1 year (p < 0.001). Their personal and social functioning (p = 0.003) and life satisfaction (p < 0.001) were increased. There were no improvements in self-esteem (p = 0.108) and medication adherence (ps ≥ 0.827) among consumers. For caregivers, no increases were presented in outcomes at the 1-year assessment (ps ≥ 0.164).

Conclusions

The findings suggest that peer support services could be sustainably implemented across China, with positive impacts on the psychiatric symptoms, social functioning, and life satisfaction of participants suffering SMI.

Screening of substance use and mental health problems among Spanish medical students: A multicenter study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of substance consumption and mental health problems among Spanish medical students, and their association with sociodemographic factors.

METHODS

A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted. Self-reported data on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were collected, including BDI-II, PHQ-9, brief STAI, and single-item academic burnout (IUBA).

RESULTS

Overall, 1265 students (74.2% female) completed the survey. Of them, 37.4% scored positive for depressive symptoms, as measured by the BDI-II, and more than half (53%) by the PHQ-9. Suicidal ideation was reported by about 12% whilst high levels of state and trait anxiety were informed by 28.8% and 29.4% of the students. The prevalence of burnout was 40.2%. Female and pre-clinical students reported significantly (p < 0.01) higher rates of depressive, anxiety, and burnout symptoms. Alcohol, energy drinks, and tobacco were the most frequently used substances. Total scores of self-reported mental health problems negatively correlated (p < 0.001) with objective academic results and positively correlated (p < 0.02) with the number of substances consumed in the last 30 days.

LIMITATIONS

Research-based on self-reported data could favour information bias due to the social desirability effect and memory error.

CONCLUSIONS

A high prevalence of substance consumption and several mental health problems was found among medical students, especially females. The relevant influence of academic-related factors on students' well-being may be a call for medical schools to implement initiatives aimed to improve students' ability to detect, address, and seek help for their mental health issues.

Exploring the relationship between mental health-related problems and undergraduate student dropout: A case study within a civil engineering program

Dropout has always been a concerning issue within higher education. This research explores the relationship between mental health-related problems and undergraduate students' dropout rates amid the COVID-19 pandemic and within a civil engineering program. The study is quantitative descriptive, with a non-experimental and longitudinal design. Results show that the dropout rates of civil engineering students from a private university have increased, comparing before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily due to mental health-related problems. Three strong tendencies within these rates have been detected, directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was concluded that undergraduate students' mental health had been undermined due to the pandemics, which has had an immediate impact on the increase of dropout rates.

Academic Stress and Mental Well-Being in College Students: Correlations, Affected Groups, and COVID-19

Academic stress may be the single most dominant stress factor that affects the mental well-being of college students. Some groups of students may experience more stress than others, and the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic could further complicate the stress response. We surveyed 843 college students and evaluated whether academic stress levels affected their mental health, and if so, whether there were specific vulnerable groups by gender, race/ethnicity, year of study, and reaction to the pandemic. Using a combination of scores from the Perception of Academic Stress Scale (PAS) and the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS), we found a significant correlation between worse academic stress and poor mental well-being in all the students, who also reported an exacerbation of stress in response to the pandemic. In addition, SWEMWBS scores revealed the lowest mental health and highest academic stress in non-binary individuals, and the opposite trend was observed for both the measures in men. Furthermore, women and non-binary students reported higher academic stress than men, as indicated by PAS scores. The same pattern held as a reaction to COVID-19-related stress. PAS scores and responses to the pandemic varied by the year of study, but no obvious patterns emerged. These results indicate that academic stress in college is significantly correlated to psychological well-being in the students who responded to this survey. In addition, some groups of college students are more affected by stress than others, and additional resources and support should be provided to them.

Using Peer Support to Strengthen Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review

Background: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on society's overall mental health. Measures such as mandated lockdowns and physical distancing have contributed to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and other metrics indicating worsening mental health. Peer support, which is peer-to-peer provided social and emotional support, is an underutilized and effective mental health resource that can potentially be used to ameliorate mental health during these times. Objective: This review aims to summarize the toll that this pandemic has had on society's mental health as found in peer-reviewed literature from October 2019 to March 2021, as well as suggest the utility of peer support to address these needs. Methods: References for this review were chosen through searches of PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for articles published between October 2019 and March 2021 that used the terms: "coronavirus," "COVID-19," "mental health," "anxiety," "depression," "isolation," "mental health resources," "peer support," "online mental health resources," and "healthcare workers." Articles resulting from these searches and relevant references cited in those articles were reviewed. Articles published in English, French and Italian were included. Results: This pandemic has ubiquitously worsened the mental health of populations across the world. Peer support has been demonstrated to yield generally positive effects on the mental health of a wide variety of recipients, and it can be provided through numerous accessible mediums. Conclusions: Peer support can overall be beneficial for improving mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and may be an effective tool should similar events arise in the future, although the presence of a few conflicting studies suggests the need for additional research.