Mult Scler. 2004 Feb;10(1):80-4.   

Peer support groups in multiple sclerosis: current effectiveness and
future directions.

Messmer Uccelli M, Mancuso Mohr L, Battaglia MA, Zagami P, Mohr DC.
Italian Multiple Sclerosis Society, Department of Health Services and
Research, Genoa, Italy. Michele@aism.it

Peer support programs have become a common method of providing support
for patients with chronic illness. Utilizing peers as resources has
been proposed as an effective means for coping with a stressful life
experience and for gaining support from others who share a common
factor, although data are somewhat mixed on the efficacy of peer
support.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of
eight weeks of a standard form of peer support in improving quality of
life and reducing depressive symptoms in 44 patients with multiple
sclerosis (MS).

One person from each of six groups participated in a training course
in order to learn basic principles of peer support. Eight weekly
sessions were held and patients completed self-administered
questionnaires pre- and post-treatment assessing quality of life and
depression.

Results showed that support groups do not provide consistent
improvement in quality of life or depression in patients with MS and
suggest that patients who have better mental health functioning could
be at risk for deterioration in support groups.

PMID: 14760957 [PubMed - in process]