PEER SUPPORT
What is peer support?
Peer support is a benevolent connection between people who share relevant personal and/or professional lived experiences. It is sometimes described as having someone meet you where you are and walk alongside you in your journey.
The fundamental purpose of peer support is to provide people with a sense of community based on shared lived experiences. Shared experiences can create a sense of understanding and connection between people, which may be difficult to find elsewhere, depending on an individual’s specific circumstances.
Listen to a Mind Beyond the Mission podcast episode featuring a discussion about peer support in the Veteran and Family community.
FAQs about peer support
Peer support is a spectrum and can look different depending on the people using it, the setting and format. There are a variety of peer support programs offered, but not all of which may be available to you. You may prefer certain programs to others, depending on your unique needs and experiences.
Peer support may be:
- Identity-specific (e.g. for Veterans or Veteran Families) or general (for the general public)
- Informal (e.g. offered by untrained peers in an unstructured manner) or formal (e.g. offered by trained peers using a structured framework)
- Workplace-based (e.g. offered within the workplace) or community-based (e.g. offered outside the workplace)
- One-on-one or group-based
- Take place online, in person, over the phone, via mobile app or in a hybrid of these formats
- Frequent (e.g. weekly or monthly) or infrequent (e.g. ad hoc)
- Short-term (e.g. one month) or long-term (e.g. over one year)
Your experience of peer support may vary, but there are some common things to expect when receiving peer support.
Peer support involves:
- Empathy
- Active listening
- Validation and understanding
- Safe and non-judgmental environment
- Mutual trust and respect
- Feelings of empowerment, self-efficacy and self-advocacy
Peer support can offer various benefits for overall well-being and recovery.
Some of these benefits include:
- Improved emotional well-being
- Improved quality of life
- Reduced feelings of social isolation
- Increased supportive social relationships and networks
- Reduced stigma and feel understood
- Increased coping abilities and resilience
FIND PEER SUPPORT SERVICES
Interested in peer support for Veterans but unsure where to start? Visit our interactive directory and map to find peer support programs and services near you. The directory allows you to search for peer support programs and services available to Veterans and Families across Canada by location, topic, format, cost and more.
Peer support program directory
Resources
Explore the following resources aimed at helping Veterans and Families gain a deeper understanding of peer support and the role it can play in recovery and healing.
Peer support and post-traumatic stress injuries
Recovering from military sexual trauma: The role of peer support
Burke, E., Pyle, M., Machin, K., Varese, F., & Morrison, A. P. (2019). The effects of peer support on empowerment, self-efficacy, and internalized stigma: A narrative synthesis and meta-analysis. Stigma and Health, 4(3), 337–356.
Cyr, C., Mckee, H., O’Hagan, M., & Priest, R. (2016). Making the case for peer support. Mental Health Commission of Canada. mentalhealthcommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/drupal/2016-07/MHCC_Making_the_Case_for_Peer_Support_2016_Eng.pdf
Greden, J. F., Valenstein, M., Spinner, J., Blow, A., Gorman, L. A., Dalack, G. W., Marcus, S., & Kees, M. (2010). Buddy-to-buddy, a citizen soldier peer support program to counteract stigma, PTSD, depression, and suicide. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1208(1), 90–97.
Konigs, R. P. (2018). Evidence brief: What are the core elements of peer support programs? Centre for Addiction and Mental Health — Evidence Exchange Network. kmb.camh.ca/api/assets/4113015f-571e-4281-8b11-399882117cc0
Mirbahaeddin, E., & Chreim, S. (2022). A narrative review of factors influencing peer support role implementation in mental health systems: implications for research, policy and practice. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 1-17.
