Effectiveness of one-year participation in school-based volunteer-facilitated peer support groups.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of one-year participation in a program of volunteer-facilitated peer support groups conducted in a southeast Texas high school. One hundred eighteen students who experienced emotional distress or behavioral problems voluntarily participated in weekly groups facilitated by adult volunteers who were not mental health professionals. Seventy-six participants anonymously assessed the program using an instrument developed to evaluate the group experience.