Peer Support on A College Campus at An Indian University

Abstract

Young adults experience an increased risk of developing mental health problems as they transition from school life to university life. This is also the period of life where the peer group plays a significant role in their decisions. We describe this process of co-creating a peer support (PS) program in a residential university setting in India.

The collaborative design process is described from a baseline felt need assessment to selecting and training student peer support volunteers (PSVs). The ongoing implementation and design of the program were informed by design thinking by the university staff and PSVs.The survey conducted among the first-year students of a University in South India revealed that the students were predominantly focused on difficulties in social interactions, lack of adequate mental health services, and issues related to help-seeking. This guided the content and skill development of the PSVs. The PSVs used reflective learning as the program was being implemented to identify the lacunae in the training and implementation of the PS program. They were able to provide constructive feedback and implement the changes.The PS program is an example of a low-intensity intervention that provides contextual support to students in an academic setting. This program also highlights task-sharing that is more acceptable to the youth and, therefore, more sustainable. A co-design and iterative process will give the youth-focused program a greater reach, reduce stigma, and improve help-seeking for mental health issues. This also helps create appropriate referrals for a higher level of care. This program description does not include a formal evaluation of the impact of the same, which could guide future work.

Keywords: Peer Support, Academic settings, Stigma reduction, Youth Empowerment

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-23-06

Publication date:August 31^st 2023