Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Training: A National Model for Peer Support for Medical and Dental Students
Introduction Medical and dental students experience higher-than-average prevalence of depression, anxiety, burnout, and suicidal ideation compared to the age-matched general population. Early interventions for these students can prevent escalation to more acute mental health crises and suicide. Stud...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Association of American Medical Colleges
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | MedEdPORTAL |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mededportal.org/doi/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11537 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849706272860930048 |
|---|---|
| author | Armand Amini Avina Rami Rhea W. Teng Clara Baselga-Garriga Kaiz Esmail Marium Raza William Oles Ivo H. Cerda Mark É. Czeisler Mariel T. Sander Vivian Wang Surya Pulukuri David Abramson Fidencio Saldaña Jennifer Potter |
| author_facet | Armand Amini Avina Rami Rhea W. Teng Clara Baselga-Garriga Kaiz Esmail Marium Raza William Oles Ivo H. Cerda Mark É. Czeisler Mariel T. Sander Vivian Wang Surya Pulukuri David Abramson Fidencio Saldaña Jennifer Potter |
| author_sort | Armand Amini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction Medical and dental students experience higher-than-average prevalence of depression, anxiety, burnout, and suicidal ideation compared to the age-matched general population. Early interventions for these students can prevent escalation to more acute mental health crises and suicide. Studies show that medical students first seek support from their peers. Our curriculum teaches students how to support both themselves and their peers prior to an acute mental health crisis. Methods The authors designed, implemented, and evaluated a 90-minute peer-to-peer mental health training that aimed to equip first-year medical and dental students with skills and resources to intervene on behalf of a peer experiencing mental health distress. The workshop consisted of a peer-led didactic session, dyad role-play sessions, and a guided reflection. Resources included a slide deck, student handouts detailing the dyad role-plays, and pre/postsession surveys. Results One hundred sixty-four first-year students from Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine completed the required training. Comparisons of survey responses by paired t tests indicated statistically significant increases in mean scores for eight items assessing learner confidence, and an increased sum score of six items assessing learner knowledge (mean of 5.6 postsession vs. 5.4 presession; p = .04). Discussion Our results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of peer-led mental health training to increase first-year medical and dental students’ related knowledge and confidence in identifying and responding to peers experiencing emotional distress. The resources developed for this training can be adapted to provide foundational mental health training at other medical and dental institutions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fd2b57508ab3406f9f09c22250087e9d |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2374-8265 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Association of American Medical Colleges |
| record_format | Article |
| series | MedEdPORTAL |
| spelling | doaj-art-fd2b57508ab3406f9f09c22250087e9d2025-08-20T03:16:14ZengAssociation of American Medical CollegesMedEdPORTAL2374-82652025-06-012110.15766/mep_2374-8265.11537Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Training: A National Model for Peer Support for Medical and Dental StudentsArmand Amini0Avina Rami1Rhea W. Teng2Clara Baselga-Garriga3Kaiz Esmail4Marium Raza5William Oles6Ivo H. Cerda7Mark É. Czeisler8Mariel T. Sander9Vivian Wang10Surya Pulukuri11David Abramson12Fidencio Saldaña13Jennifer Potter14Fourth-Year Medical Student, Harvard Medical SchoolFourth-Year Medical Student, Harvard Medical SchoolFourth-Year Medical Student, Harvard Medical SchoolFourth-Year Medical Student, Harvard Medical SchoolFourth-Year Medical Student, Harvard Medical SchoolFourth-Year Medical Student, Harvard Medical SchoolFourth-Year Medical Student, Harvard Medical SchoolFourth-Year Medical Student, Harvard Medical SchoolFourth-Year Medical Student, Harvard Medical SchoolSecond-Year Medical Student, Harvard Medical SchoolSecond-Year Medical Student, Harvard Medical SchoolSecond-Year Medical Student, Harvard Medical SchoolPsychiatrist, Harvard University Health Services; Director, Counseling and Mental Health Service, Longwood Medical Clinic, Harvard UniversityAssistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Dean for Students, Harvard Medical SchoolProfessor, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Advisory Dean, Castle Society, Harvard Medical SchoolIntroduction Medical and dental students experience higher-than-average prevalence of depression, anxiety, burnout, and suicidal ideation compared to the age-matched general population. Early interventions for these students can prevent escalation to more acute mental health crises and suicide. Studies show that medical students first seek support from their peers. Our curriculum teaches students how to support both themselves and their peers prior to an acute mental health crisis. Methods The authors designed, implemented, and evaluated a 90-minute peer-to-peer mental health training that aimed to equip first-year medical and dental students with skills and resources to intervene on behalf of a peer experiencing mental health distress. The workshop consisted of a peer-led didactic session, dyad role-play sessions, and a guided reflection. Resources included a slide deck, student handouts detailing the dyad role-plays, and pre/postsession surveys. Results One hundred sixty-four first-year students from Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine completed the required training. Comparisons of survey responses by paired t tests indicated statistically significant increases in mean scores for eight items assessing learner confidence, and an increased sum score of six items assessing learner knowledge (mean of 5.6 postsession vs. 5.4 presession; p = .04). Discussion Our results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of peer-led mental health training to increase first-year medical and dental students’ related knowledge and confidence in identifying and responding to peers experiencing emotional distress. The resources developed for this training can be adapted to provide foundational mental health training at other medical and dental institutions.http://www.mededportal.org/doi/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11537Mental Health/Well-BeingPeer SupportSelf-CareDepressionAnxietyBurnout |
| spellingShingle | Armand Amini Avina Rami Rhea W. Teng Clara Baselga-Garriga Kaiz Esmail Marium Raza William Oles Ivo H. Cerda Mark É. Czeisler Mariel T. Sander Vivian Wang Surya Pulukuri David Abramson Fidencio Saldaña Jennifer Potter Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Training: A National Model for Peer Support for Medical and Dental Students MedEdPORTAL Mental Health/Well-Being Peer Support Self-Care Depression Anxiety Burnout |
| title | Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Training: A National Model for Peer Support for Medical and Dental Students |
| title_full | Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Training: A National Model for Peer Support for Medical and Dental Students |
| title_fullStr | Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Training: A National Model for Peer Support for Medical and Dental Students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Training: A National Model for Peer Support for Medical and Dental Students |
| title_short | Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Training: A National Model for Peer Support for Medical and Dental Students |
| title_sort | peer to peer mental health training a national model for peer support for medical and dental students |
| topic | Mental Health/Well-Being Peer Support Self-Care Depression Anxiety Burnout |
| url | http://www.mededportal.org/doi/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11537 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT armandamini peertopeermentalhealthtraininganationalmodelforpeersupportformedicalanddentalstudents AT avinarami peertopeermentalhealthtraininganationalmodelforpeersupportformedicalanddentalstudents AT rheawteng peertopeermentalhealthtraininganationalmodelforpeersupportformedicalanddentalstudents AT clarabaselgagarriga peertopeermentalhealthtraininganationalmodelforpeersupportformedicalanddentalstudents AT kaizesmail peertopeermentalhealthtraininganationalmodelforpeersupportformedicalanddentalstudents AT mariumraza peertopeermentalhealthtraininganationalmodelforpeersupportformedicalanddentalstudents AT williamoles peertopeermentalhealthtraininganationalmodelforpeersupportformedicalanddentalstudents AT ivohcerda peertopeermentalhealthtraininganationalmodelforpeersupportformedicalanddentalstudents AT markeczeisler peertopeermentalhealthtraininganationalmodelforpeersupportformedicalanddentalstudents AT marieltsander peertopeermentalhealthtraininganationalmodelforpeersupportformedicalanddentalstudents AT vivianwang peertopeermentalhealthtraininganationalmodelforpeersupportformedicalanddentalstudents AT suryapulukuri peertopeermentalhealthtraininganationalmodelforpeersupportformedicalanddentalstudents AT davidabramson peertopeermentalhealthtraininganationalmodelforpeersupportformedicalanddentalstudents AT fidenciosaldana peertopeermentalhealthtraininganationalmodelforpeersupportformedicalanddentalstudents AT jenniferpotter peertopeermentalhealthtraininganationalmodelforpeersupportformedicalanddentalstudents |