Get Immediate Help in a Crisis
Call 911 if you or someone you know is in immediate danger or go to the nearest emergency room.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988; Llame al 988 (para ayuda en español)
Use Lifeline Chat on the web (English only)
The Lifeline provides 24-hour, confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Call or text 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
Veterans Crisis Line
Use Veterans Crisis Chat on the web
The Veterans Crisis Line is a free, confidential resource that connects veterans 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with a trained responder. The service is available to all veterans and those who support them, even if they are not registered with the VA or enrolled in VA healthcare.
Disaster Distress Helpline
Call or text 1-800-985-5990
The disaster distress helpline provides immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster. The helpline is free, multilingual, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you are worried about a friend’s social media updates, you can contact safety teams at the social media company. They will reach out to connect the person with the help they need.
View the 5 action steps for helping someone in emotional pain infographic to see how you can help those in distress.
Many people find peer support a helpful tool that can aid in their recovery. There are a variety of organizations that offer support groups for consumers, their family members and friends. Some support groups are peer-led, while others may be led by a mental health professional.
Who should use support groups?
Support groups are offered as a space where individuals can come together to share their stories, experiences, and lives in a way that helps reduce isolation and loneliness. Oftentimes, we think we are struggling alone, but support groups help us see that there are others who may dealing with similar situations and who in turn can help us get better.
Support groups are open to anyone, but they are often focused on specific topics (i.e. depression, family, divorce, grief, etc.). So, take some time and do some research to find the right one for you and your current situation.
Finding the right support group can be helpful. Do not be discouraged if the first support group you find doesn’t quite feel right. You should feel comfortable in the support group space that you choose, so trying different ones may help you determine the best fit.
We also encourage you to also take a look at Mental Health America’s LiveYourLifeWell program to learn more about the value of connecting with others and other helpful wellness tools.
Can I access support groups online?
Some organizations now offer online support groups, discussion boards, blogs, and online communities as additional ways to connect with others in similar situations. These can be helpful additions to in-person support groups and can be especially helpful if there are no groups in your area.
Mental Health America has its own support community through Inspire which enables individuals to connect on a variety of issues and topics related to mental health.
Where can I find a support group to attend locally?
Your local Mental Health America affiliate is an excellent resource to assist you in finding support groups in your area.
The National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Group Clearinghouse also maintains a Directory of Consumer-Driven Services which includes peer-run organizations throughout the United States that offer a variety of supportive services and activities, including peer-run support groups.
Additional resources
In addition to the resources listed above, the resources below are divided into three main sections - Specialized support group resources, Other helpful resources, and National Toll-Free 24 hour hotlines. We encourage you to take a look at all of these sections since there are many helpful resources in each of them.
Specialized support group resources include:
Other helpful resources include:
National Toll-Free 24 Hour Hotlines:
- Child-Help USA at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) Assists both child and adult survivors of abuse, including sexual abuse. The hotline, staffed by mental health professionals, also provides treatment referrals.
- Covenant House Nineline at 1-800-999-9999 Crisis counselors are available to talk to homeless individuals and at-risk kids; also offer an on-line forum.
- Boys Town at 1-800-448-3000 Crisis, resource, and referral line that assists both teens and parents.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Line at 988 connects you with 24-hour crisis support by calling, texting, or chatting on the website.
- SAMHSA’s Treatment Locator at 1-800-662-4357 provides you with information about local mental health services.
Support groups: Make connections, get help
If you’re facing a major illness or stressful life change, you don’t have to go it alone. A support group can help. Find out how to choose the right one.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Support groups bring together people who are going through or have gone through similar experiences. For example, this common ground might be cancer, chronic medical conditions, addiction, bereavement or caregiving.
A support group provides an opportunity for people to share personal experiences and feelings, coping strategies, or firsthand information about diseases or treatments.
For many people, a health-related support group may fill a gap between medical treatment and the need for emotional support. A person’s relationship with a doctor or other medical personnel may not provide adequate emotional support, and a person’s family and friends may not understand the impact of a disease or treatment. A support group among people with shared experiences may function as a bridge between medical and emotional needs.
Structure of support groups
Support groups may be offered by a nonprofit advocacy organization, clinic, hospital or community organization. They also may be independent of any organization and run entirely by group members.
Formats of support groups vary, including face-to-face meetings, teleconferences or online communities. A lay person — someone who shares or has shared the group’s common experience — often leads a support group, but a group also may be led by a professional facilitator, such as a nurse, social worker or psychologist.
Some support groups may offer educational opportunities, such as a guest doctor, psychologist, nurse or social worker to talk about a topic related to the group’s needs.
Support groups are not the same as group therapy sessions. Group therapy is a specific type of mental health treatment that brings together several people with similar conditions under the guidance of a licensed mental health care provider.
Benefits of support groups
The common experience among members of a support group often means they have similar feelings, worries, everyday problems, treatment decisions or treatment side effects. Participating in a group provides you with an opportunity to be with people who are likely to have a common purpose and likely to understand one another.
Benefits of participating in a support group may include:
- Feeling less lonely, isolated or judged
- Reducing distress, depression, anxiety or fatigue
- Talking openly and honestly about your feelings
- Improving skills to cope with challenges
- Staying motivated to manage chronic conditions or stick to treatment plans
- Gaining a sense of empowerment, control or hope
- Improving understanding of a disease and your own experience with it
- Getting practical feedback about treatment options
- Learning about health, economic or social resources
Possible risks
Support groups may have drawbacks, and effective groups generally depend on the facilitator to help steer away from these problems. These problems may include:
- Disruptive group members
- Conversation dominated by griping
- Lack of confidentiality
- Emotional entanglement, group tension or interpersonal conflicts
- Inappropriate or unsound medical advice
- Competitive comparisons of whose condition or experience is worse
Pros and cons of online support groups
Online support groups offer benefits and risks that are particular to that format. It’s important to consider these factors before joining an online group.
Benefits of online groups include:
- More frequent or flexible participation
- Opportunities for people who may not have local face-to-face support groups
- A degree of privacy or anonymity
Risks of online support groups include the following:
- Communication only by written text can lead to misunderstanding or confusion among group members.
- Anonymity may lead to inappropriate or disrespectful comments or behaviors.
- Participation online may result in isolation from other friends or family.
- Online communities may be particularly susceptible to misinformation or information overload.
- People may use the online environment to prey on people, promote a product or commit fraud.
How to find a support group
Information about support groups may be available from the following:
- Your doctor, clinic or hospital
- Nonprofit organizations that advocate for particular medical conditions or life changes
- National Institutes of Health websites for specific diseases and conditions
Questions to ask before joining a support group
Support groups vary in how they are organized and led. Before joining a support group, ask the following questions:
- Is the group designed for people with a specific medical condition or certain stage of a disease?
- Does the group meet for a set period of time or does it continue indefinitely?
- Where does the group meet?
- At what times and how often does the group meet?
- Is there a facilitator or moderator?
- Has the facilitator undergone training?
- Is a mental health expert involved with the group?
- What are the guidelines for confidentiality?
- Are there established ground rules for group participation?
- What is a typical meeting like?
- Is it free, and if not, what are the fees?
Red flags that might indicate a problematic support group include:
- Promises of a sure cure for your disease or condition
- High fees to attend the group
- Pressure to purchase products or services
Getting the most out of a support group
When you join a new support group, you may be nervous about sharing personal issues with people you don’t know. At first, you may benefit from simply listening. Over time, however, contributing your own ideas and experiences may help you get more out of a support group.
Try a support group for a few weeks. If it doesn’t feel like a good fit for you, consider a different support group or a different support group format.
Remember that a support group isn’t a substitute for regular medical care. Let your doctor know that you’re participating in a support group. If you don’t think a support group is appropriate for you, but you need help coping with your condition or situation, talk to your doctor about counseling or other types of therapy.
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- Delisle VC, et al. Effect of support group peer facilitator training programmes on peer facilitator and support group member outcomes: A systematic review. BMJ Open. 2016;6:e013325.
- Pomery A, et al. Skills, knowledge and attributes of support group leaders: A systematic review. Patient Education and Counseling. 2016;99:672.
- Skirbekk H, et al. To support and to be supported. A qualitative study of peer support centres in cancer care in Norway. Patient Education and Counseling. 2018;101:711.
- Embuldeniya G, et al. The experience and impact of chronic disease peer support interventions: A qualitative synthesis. Patient Education and Counseling. 2013;92:3.
- Hughes S, et al. The experience of facilitators and participants of long term condition self-management group programmes: A qualitative synthesis. Patient Education and Counseling. 2017;100:2244.
- Bender JL, et al. What is the role of online support from the perspective of facilitators of face-to-face support groups? A multi-method study of the use of breast cancer online communities. Patient Education and Counseling. 2013;93:472.
- Mo PK, et al. Are online support groups always beneficial? A qualitative exploration of the empowering and disempowering processes of participation within HIV/AIDS-related online support groups. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 2014;51:983.
- Understanding psychosocial support services: Types of support services. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/emotional-side-effects/understanding-psychosocial-support-services/types-of-support-services.html. Accessed June 9, 2018.
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