title: Telephone-based mutual peer support for depression: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the acceptability, feasibility and depression-related outcomes of a telephone-based mutual peer support intervention for individuals with continued depressive symptoms in specialty mental health treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were depressed patients with continued symptoms or functional impairment treated at one of the three outpatient mental health clinics. Participants were partnered with another patient, provided with basic communication skills training, and asked to call their partner at least once a week using a telephone platform that recorded call initiation, frequency and duration. Depression symptoms, quality of life, disability, self-efficacy, overall mental and physical health and qualitative feedback were collected at enrolment, 6 weeks and 12 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-four participants enroled in the 12-week intervention and 32 participants (59.3%) completed the intervention. Participants completing the study averaged 10.3 calls, with a mean call length of 26.8 min. The mean change in BDI-II score from baseline to study completion was -4.2 (95% CI: -7.6, -0.8; p<0.02). Measures of disability, quality of life and psychological health also improved. Qualitative assessments indicated that participants found meaning and support through interactions with their partners.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Telephone-based mutual peer support is a feasible and acceptable adjunct to specialty depression care. Larger trials are needed to determine efficacy and effectiveness of this intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. jktravis@gmail.com
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Travis
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roeder
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Walters
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piette
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heisler
authors.forename: Dara
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ganoczy
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valenstein
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010379:Peer Group; D010865:Pilot Projects; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012944:Social Support; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D013689:Telephone