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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