Effects of befriending on depressive symptoms and distress: systematic review and meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
High rates of emotional distress and depressive symptoms in the community can reflect difficult life events and social circumstances. There is a need for appropriate, low-cost, non-medical interventions for many individuals. Befriending is an emotional support intervention commonly offered by the voluntary sector.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the effectiveness of befriending in the treatment of emotional distress and depressive symptoms.


METHODS
Systematic review of randomised trials of interventions focused on providing emotional support to individuals in the community.


RESULTS
Compared with usual care or no treatment, befriending had a modest but significant effect on depressive symptoms in the short term (standardised mean difference SMD = -0.27, 95% CI -0.48 to -0.06, nine studies) and long term (SMD = -0.18, 95% CI -0.32 to -0.05, five studies).


CONCLUSIONS
Befriending has a modest effect on depressive symptoms and emotional distress in varied patient groups. Further exploration of active ingredients, appropriate target populations and optimal methods of delivery is required.
Mead
Nicola
N
Research Fellow, NIHR School for Primary Care Research, 5th Floor, Williamson Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. nicki.mead@manchester.ac.uk.
Lester
Helen
H
Chew-Graham
Carolyn
C
Gask
Linda
L
Bower
Peter
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult