Profiles in Mentoring: Simon Grégoire on Peer Support, Student Mental Health, and the Power of ACT

Simon Grégoire, Ph.D., is a professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), whose research focuses on applied, clinical, and positive psychology. His recent work explores how mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches can be adapted to promote mental health and well-being in educational settings. We recently had the opportunity of speaking with Dr. Grégoire about his paper on peer-led interventions to support student mental health!

Chronicle (C): What inspired you to focus on peer-led interventions for student mental health?

Simon Grégoire (SG): In this project, we decided to focus on peer support because our experience in the field, as well as scientific studies, show that many students are reluctant to seek the psychological help services offered at their school, for a variety of reasons. Some have had bad experiences with a health professional in the past, others feel that their problem is not serious enough, or fear that the evaluation of their academic performance will be affected if they reveal their psychological difficulties. I would add that peer support is an inexpensive way for schools to enhance and diversify their mental health services and increase their accessibility.

C: How did students respond to having peers (not professionals) support them through ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) based sessions?

SG: The response was very positive. Students appreciated being in an egalitarian relationship, being able to chat with peers who also struggled with stress and anxiety, and being able to do so online, from the comfort of their own homes. Many also reported appreciating the tools and strategies found in ACT (e.g., cognitive defusion, mindfulness).

C: What would you change or add to the intervention if you were to implement it again on a larger scale?

SG: In our study, peer supporters were sometimes paired with peers dealing with problems beyond anxiety. Many expressed that they felt helpless when faced with the distress of students with a history of trauma or struggling with personality disorders. Not having struggled with these issues themselves, it was difficult for them to fully understand their complexity and properly support their peers. This finding highlights the importance of appropriately recruiting peers but also providing them the resources to properly deal with issues of comorbidity.