MedWire News: Peer support groups can help prevent and reduce social and emotional isolation among people with schizophrenia, say Dutch researchers.

The findings are encouraging as "most people with psychotic disorders have small social networks with few opportunities to share their experiences with other people," comment lead researcher Dr S Castelein, from the University of Groningen, and team.

"Peer support groups for many chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer and asthma are well accepted," explain the researchers in the journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica.

But they add that, until now, few studies have investigated whether peer support groups benefits psychosis patients in terms of social network, social support, self-esteem, and quality of life.

The team studied 56 people with schizophrenia and other related disorders who received standard care and participated in peer support groups and 50 patients with the same type of disorders who received standard care only.

Patients in the peer support groups participated in 16 nurse-led sessions over an 8-month period.

At the end of this period, the team found that 56% of participants in the peer support groups reported significant improvements in contact with other people outside the sessions compared with 31% of those who received standard care alone.

Participants in peer support groups also reported greater levels of support and better quality of life with fewer symptoms than those who received standard care alone.

"Peer support groups are a useful intervention for people suffering from psychosis by improving their social network," Dr Castelein and team conclude.

"Contact with peers can play an important role in the prevention of social and emotional isolation."