PEER-TO-PEER
A number of local and national condition-specific peer-to-peer support groups are available. Connect with your subspecialist as they may know of a group that may be able to support you.
Resources for Emotional Health Support
Resources for the emotional well-being of youth with chronic conditions, their families, and care teams.
For Families & Caregivers
Family Voices: Resources and peer support for families of children with special health needs.
Kids Mental Health Foundation: Mental health resources by state.
Condition-specific groups like Sisters-by-Heart, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and Autism Speaks offer tailored education and community support.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Support groups, education, and helplines.
For Youth
Youth Advisory Councils (YAC): Connect with peers and share feedback on care experiences.
MentalHealth.gov: Trusted information on mental health and how to seek help.
For Clinicians & Providers
Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFAC): Partner with families to enhance care delivery.
APA Psychologist Locator and Psychology Today Directory: Find licensed mental health professionals.
Child Psychiatry Access Programs: State-based consultation services for primary care providers.
Young adults with chronic conditions often experience unpredictable shifts in health, social life, financial stability, academics, or career paths – all of which contributes to long-term emotional well-being. Peer support (connecting to others who have similar experiences) can help young people feel less alone as they navigate chronic illness, and can help increase feelings of validation, acceptance, and connection.
This month, we’re highlighting peer-support resources from Generation Patient, a non-profit created and led by young adults with chronic conditions! Generation Patient provides virtual, peer groups for young adults (ages 18+) with any chronic medical condition. Their cross-disease groups are a space for patients to discuss life with chronic illness and connect with others who understand what they’re going through. In addition to “General” groups, they offer “Student Support/Higher Ed” groups for patients in college or graduate school. Learn more and sign up here, read about Generation Patient’s approach to peer support, or access their peer-support research resources!
“People gravitate toward peer support because of its humanizing effect on our challenging health care system. And we love that it provides that personal connection to better understand physical and emotional impacts of chronic illness and it is 100% patient-centered . . . Peer-to-peer supports looks different for everyone, but that feeling of validation and understanding by someone who has walked in your shoes – we learn from each other and gain tools to live healthier lives as parents, patients, and siblings."
— Stacey Lihn, parent of child with single ventricle heart disease and president, Sisters by Heart
