Why is peer support important?

A peer supporter is someone who has traveled a similar path to recovery and wellness and can relate to what the person they are visiting is going through.  They can offer empathy (as opposed to sympathy) as well as validation.  This conveys hope which is a key determinant of recovery and wellness.

Peer support is focused on health [and wellbeing].  Wellness isn’t just physical, it is multi-dimensional and includes physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness. The following figure shows an 8-dimensional model of wellness.  Note that it even includes such things as financial wellness and environmental wellness.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (illness).” WHO defines wellness as “the optimal state of health of individuals and groups,” and wellness is also described as “a positive approach to living.”  All peer interventions include some degree of informational, appraisal, and emotional support leading to improved wellness.