Peer-to-Peer Support and Changes in Health and Well-being in Older Adults Over Time

Abstract

Key Points Question Is a community-designed and implemented peer-to-peer (P2P) support program associated with changes in measures of health and well-being, such as depressive or anxiety symptoms, vs standard community services (SCS)? Findings In this cohort study of 448 older adults, the P2P group had a significant increase in anxiety symptoms compared with the SCS group. The P2P group had improvements in mental and physical health over the year, but these did not differ significantly from the SCS group. Meaning In this study, the results were mixed and did not show that receiving P2P support was associated with improvements in or a slower decline of health and well-being compared with the SCS group.

Peer Support Group terhadap Well-Being Pasien Hipertensi Usia Dewasa Muda

“…Penelitian ini berbeda dengan penelitian yang dilakukan oleh Schwei et al (2021) yang menyebutkan bahwa peer support group tidak berpengaruh pada well-being pasien hipertensi. Perbedaan ini dikarenakan dalam penelitiannya tidak melihat perbedaan serta persamaan dalam karekateristik responden.…”

Peer Support Activities for Veterans, Serving Members, and Their Families: Results of a Scoping Review

“…While many definitions exist to describe peer support activities, the concept of shared life experiences between individuals remains constant [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. Specific to the military and veteran field, though many peer support activities are community-based, peers are also being utilized more formally in the provision of programs and activities by government departments such as the Department of National Defence in Canada and the Veterans Health Administration in the United States [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Considering the increased interest in peer-supported activities in the literature, the question of the effectiveness of these activities on improving well-being is one that is becoming increasingly important to answer [ 2 , 9 ].…”

Peer-to-Peer Support for Older Adults—What Do We Know and Where Do We Go?

“…Adults receiving services at study centers were eligible for peer-to-peer support if they were living in the community, were living at or below poverty level or on a fixed income and unable to meet living expenses, were socially isolated, had at least 1 chronic illness, or were frequent users of community organization services. Schwei et al enrolled participants receiving peer-to-peer support and participants receiving only standard services; services were not assigned as part of the study. Older adults in 2 centers were ongoing users of peer-to-peer support programming at the time of study initiation, whereas older adults in 1 center were new users at the time of study enrollment.…”

“…There are 2 major reasons why we should not be too quick to dismiss peer-to-peer support programs on the basis of the findings reported by Schwei and colleagues. 5 First, this was not a randomized trial. Study participants were identified and invited to enroll in peer-to-peer support programs on the basis of characteristics, such as income and social isolation, that would be expected to be associated with the outcomes studied.…”

“…Schwei and colleagues report secondary results from a study they conducted between 2015 and 2017 that assessed peer-to-peer support provided to medically or socioeconomically vulnerable community-based adults aged 65 years and older receiving services from 3 social welfare organizations. Peer-to-peer support involved matching a trained older adult volunteer with a less able peer to provide a range of assistance, including home visits, transportation for shopping or medical appointments, and regular social connection.…”