Human connection in peer support

What does human connection mean in peer support?

People involved in peer support actively acknowledge that they have a specific connection with each other based on their shared experiences. These common experiences may help peers feel they understand each other better than other people in their lives. Previous negative experiences can be put to a positive use through this connection.

Peers work together to create a warm, friendly, welcoming environment for everyone, and act with intentional kindness towards each other online or face-to-face. Peers understand, emotionally support, and care for each other.

This generates a culture of companionship and belonging. Through their connection with each other, people may come to feel less isolated and that they are part of a supportive community.

Why is human connection important in peer support?

The human connection people find through peer support is important for a number of reasons. Many people experiencing mental health problems may feel isolated in their day- to-day lives. The sense of connection, empathy, and understanding found through peer support can ease that sense of isolation.

Over time, these connections may develop into a sense of community that may be missing in other parts of a person’s life. This can help them feel like they’re no longer alone with their difficulties.

Human connections are built in an environment where peers feel safe and have choice and control over what happens to them. Over time, peers who interact with each other in an equal and two-directional way will develop genuine human connections with each other.

For many people, the relationships they develop within peer support feel genuine and authentic. Where peers express care or empathy for each other, these feelings are genuine, and for some people this may be one of the things that makes peer support effective. Because peers have experienced similar things, they feel they are understood when they speak and do not need to justify their feelings or experiences.

For some peers, this is a contrast to experiences they may have had in clinical environments, where the relationships are often conducted within rigid professional boundaries. In these clinical situations, some people find it difficult to fully explain their experiences, or may feel that they are not listened to carefully, understood, or taken seriously.

Relationships may develop into genuine friendships, which may involve people socialising outside the boundaries of the peer support space and exchanging personal details. Where this happens, it is important that there are guidelines about what peer friends may discuss outside of peer support, in order to remain safe and respect the privacy and confidentiality of other peers.