Peer to Peer Mentoring: Facilitating Individuals With Early Inflammatory Arthritis to Manage Their Arthritis - Peer Mentor Training

Inflammatory arthritis (IA) is a major cause of long-term disability. Peer support may be a solution to the common problem of delayed treatment. Early peer support may result in improved use of therapy, higher self-efficacy, reduced anxiety, and improved coping in the first two years post-diagnosis. This study involves the development and testing of a peer mentor training initiative as one part of an intervention study for people with early IA (EIA). Peer mentors will be trained and assessed to provide one-on-one support (information, emotional, feedback) to individuals who have recently been diagnosed with IA. This is one part of an intervention study. The other part is called Peer to Peer Mentoring: Facilitating Individuals with Early Inflammatory Arthritis to Manage their Arthritis - Peer Mentoring Program.