@article{ref1,
title="Psychosocial impacts on college students providing mental health peer support",
journal="Journal of American college health",
year="2019",
author="Johnson, Benjamin A. and Riley, Joan B.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="<b>Objective</b>: To examine psychosocial effects on college student peer support workers of providing mental health peer support as compared to other trained student workers. <b>Participants</b>: From August 2016 through May 2017, undergraduate students trained to provide mental health peer support were compared to trained student workers not providing peer support. <b>Methods</b>: A post-training, post-working survey design was used to assess psychosocial effects using Keyes' Mental Health Continuum Short Form, the Deakin Coping Scale, and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List. <b>Results</b>: At completion of training, peer supporters had lower flourishing (-9.5%, <i>p</i> = 0.090) than controls. After 6 weeks' work, peer supporters exhibited lowered avoidance coping (-62%, <i>p</i> = 0.023), and more belonging support (+9.5%, <i>p</i> = 0.044). <b>Conclusions</b>: Peer supporters' mental wellness does not decrease over the course of working as a mental health peer support worker; conversely, some aspects of well-being improve.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0744-8481",
doi="10.1080/07448481.2019.1660351",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2019.1660351"
}