Online peer support: forums, groups & warmlines

Research on online peer support is promising but still young. These numbers show how people use it and what studies have found so far.

How people use it

What research shows

Peer support means getting and giving support with people who share a similar experience. Online, it happens in forums, video groups, apps, chat lines and social media.

Researchers have described people living with mental health conditions using social media to share their experiences and learn from each other. They see real potential in these connections.

A 2020 review of 30 studies found digital peer support for people with serious mental health conditions was workable and acceptable, with strong potential. The authors said bigger, better trials are still needed.

For young people, a 2015 review found only six studies, with mixed results. Almost all used groups with moderators.

Researchers have also flagged possible downsides: misleading information, hostile comments and feeling more unsure about your health. They judged the benefits seemed to outweigh these risks, but called for more study.

Green flags

• Active moderators who step in when things get unkind or unsafe
• Clear rules, such as no diagnosing, no selling and no graphic content
• Crisis information that is easy to find
• People share experiences rather than telling others what to do
• Respect for privacy, including usernames and no pressure to share
• Run or supported by a trusted organization

Red flags

• Advice to stop seeing your clinical provider or ignore their guidance
• Content that makes self-harm or disordered eating look normal or appealing
• Members who push you to move to private chats quickly
• Pressure to buy products, programs or “cures”
• Us-versus-them talk about families, professionals or “outsiders”

A warmline is a peer-run phone line, and sometimes chat or text, that offers emotional support. The people who answer have their own lived experience of mental health challenges.

Warmlines are not crisis hotlines, but SAMHSA says they should be able to tell when someone needs a crisis line or more help, and connect them.

Good to know

• Check whether a line takes calls from outside its area before calling
• Hours vary, and some lines are not open every day
• Many serve only one state or county
• Some offer text or chat, and some offer Spanish

NAMI keeps a national warmline directory listed by state on its HelpLine website. The NAMI HelpLine itself can also point you to local support.

Before you post

• Check how the site uses and shares your information
• Leave out details that could identify you, like your school, workplace or town
• Remember posts can be screenshotted and shared, even in “private” groups
• Use a username that isn’t your real name if you prefer

It’s okay to share a little at first and more over time as you build trust. You decide what is yours to tell.

Helpful habits

• Avoid diagnosing or giving health advice
• Listen and reflect back what you hear
• Point people to crisis lines if they mention being unsafe
• Share your own experience using “I” statements
• Thank people for sharing

Mental Health America reminds people that online support is not a replacement for talking with a mental health professional. It works best alongside other support.

Signs a group isn’t helping right now

• It is taking time from sleep, friends or things you enjoy
• You feel worse, more hopeless or more anxious after visiting
• You feel pressure to keep up with every post
• You hide how much time you spend there

Taking a break, muting a group or leaving is always okay. You can come back later or find a better fit.

Reach out to a clinical provider or therapist if…

• Daily life is getting harder to manage
• Online support isn’t easing how you feel
• You have been struggling for more than a couple of weeks
• You notice thoughts of harming yourself