Support Groups

Living with a mental health condition — or supporting someone who does — can feel isolating, even with good clinical care in place. Peer support groups fill a different role than therapy or medication: they connect people with others who genuinely understand the day-to-day experience, offer practical coping strategies, and provide a space to be heard without judgment. Two of the largest and most established organizations offering this kind of support in the U.S. are the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Both offer free, peer-led groups.

DBSA Support Groups

DBSA is a peer-led organization focused specifically on depression and bipolar disorder, but people with psychosis are welcome to attend as well. They offer support through both in-person and online groups nationwide.

  • Groups are facilitated by trained peers — people with lived experience of a mood disorder themselves — rather than mental health professionals.

  • DBSA is explicit that its groups are not professional treatment, diagnosis, or a substitute for clinical care; they're meant as a complement to it, not a replacement.

  • There's no pressure to talk or share — participation happens entirely at each person's own pace.

In-person groups: DBSA has local chapters around the country offering in-person meetings, which can be found through DBSA's online chapter directory.

Online groups: DBSA runs a large number of online groups (over 200 at various points), covering general mood-disorder support as well as more specific communities, including:

  • Parent and caregiver support groups

  • Culture and identity-focused groups — including groups for the Black community, the LGBTQ+ community, rural communities, and friends and family of people with mood disorders

  • A support group specifically for people with a mood disorder living in rural areas

All DBSA online groups are free. The hosting platform for these groups has changed over time (having moved between different vendor platforms), so it's worth checking DBSA's website directly for the current schedule and sign-up process rather than relying on older listings.

NAMI Support Groups

NAMI offers two core support groups, along with a set of longer educational courses, and its programs cover mental health conditions broadly rather than focusing on mood disorders specifically.

NAMI Connection — a free, peer-led support group for adults living with symptoms of any mental health condition, run by trained facilitators who also have lived experience with mental illness. Groups follow a structured format (developed with input from mental health professionals) with sessions typically lasting about 90 minutes, and they meet weekly, biweekly, or monthly depending on the location. It's open to adults 18 and older, and it's also available in Spanish as NAMI Conexión.

NAMI Family Support Group — a free, peer-led group for adults who have a loved one experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition. Like NAMI Connection, it follows a structured model meant to ensure everyone gets a chance to be heard, and meeting frequency varies by location — many groups are virtual, with some open to participants nationwide regardless of where they live.

Availability of additional, more specialized groups (such as LGBTQ+-focused groups or groups for specific circumstances) varies by local NAMI affiliate.

How to Find a Group

  • DBSA: Use DBSA's online chapter directory to find in-person groups nearby, or browse the current list of national online groups for identity- or topic-specific options.

  • NAMI: Find your local NAMI affiliate through NAMI's website, which will list current Connection and Family Support Group meeting times (in-person or virtual) along with any educational courses being offered locally.

Since specific meeting times, hosting platforms, and locally available groups change fairly often, checking each organization's website directly — or calling a local affiliate — is the most reliable way to get current, accurate details.