The British Journal of Psychiatry (2010) 196: 96-101. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.109.064089
© 2010 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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REVIEW ARTICLE

Effects of befriending on depressive symptoms and distress: systematic review and meta-analysis

Nicola Mead, PhD, Helen Lester, MB, ChB, MD, FRCGP, Carolyn Chew-Graham, MB, ChB, MD, FRCGP and Linda Gask, PhD, FRCPsych

NIHR School for Primary Care Research, University of Manchester

Peter Bower, PhD

National Primary Care Research and Development Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

Correspondence: Correspondence: Nicola Mead, Research Fellow, NIHR School for Primary Care Research, 5th Floor, Williamson Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. Email: nicki.mead{at}manchester.ac.uk

Declaration of interest

None.

Background

High rates of emotional distress and depressive symptoms in the community can reflect difficult life events and social circumstances. There is a need for appropriate, low-cost, non-medical interventions for many individuals. Befriending is an emotional support intervention commonly offered by the voluntary sector.

Aims

To examine the effectiveness of befriending in the treatment of emotional distress and depressive symptoms.

Method

Systematic review of randomised trials of interventions focused on providing emotional support to individuals in the community.

Results

Compared with usual care or no treatment, befriending had a modest but significant effect on depressive symptoms in the short term (standardised mean difference SMD = –0.27, 95% CI –0.48 to –0.06, nine studies) and long term (SMD = –0.18, 95% CI –0.32 to –0.05, five studies).

Conclusions

Befriending has a modest effect on depressive symptoms and emotional distress in varied patient groups. Further exploration of active ingredients, appropriate target populations and optimal methods of delivery is required.


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eLetters:

Read all eLetters

"Effects of Befriending on Depressive Symptoms: A Precautionary Note on Promising Findings"
Ghassan El-Baalbaki, et al.
BJP Online, 2 Jun 2010 [Full text]
Re: "Effects of Befriending on Depressive Symptoms: A Precautionary Note on Promising Findings"
Nicola Mead, et al.
BJP Online, 16 Jun 2010 [Full text]