Worldwide Community Support Groups
Find connection, understanding, and support from people around the world who truly get it. This page brings together community-based support options for mental health, autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, hidden disabilities, and related life experiences — helping you find a safer, more supportive place to start.
Gentle Notice
Some topics on this page may feel personal or emotionally heavy. Please go at your own pace, skip anything that does not feel right today, and come back later if needed.
What this page is for
This hub focuses on peer, community, and group-based support. It is designed to help you find welcoming communities, practical connection points, and ongoing support spaces.
Content warning & urgent help
This page is not a crisis service. If you need immediate support, please use your emergency number or visit your crisis support directory first. Community groups can be helpful, but they are not a substitute for urgent professional help.
Jump to a section
Find support that fits you
Everyone looks for support differently. Some people want a gentle online space. Others want in-person community, topic-specific support, or a group that reflects a shared life experience. Start with the path that feels safest and easiest for you.
Online support groups
Explore online communities, digital peer spaces, forums, and moderated support groups that can be accessed from anywhere.
Explore online groups →In-person support
Look for face-to-face groups, local meetups, community organisations, and support circles in your area or region.
Explore in-person support →Peer and therapy-style groups
Find community-led peer groups as well as therapy-based group supports where available, depending on your needs and location.
Explore group options →Browse by audience
Choose the pathway that best matches who you are or who you are supporting. These pages can help narrow things down faster and reduce overwhelm.
Youth & teen support
Community support spaces for young people, teens, and younger adults navigating mental health, neurodivergence, or life challenges.
View youth & teen support →Adult support
Find adult-focused support groups, community networks, and peer spaces for connection, wellbeing, and shared understanding.
View adult support →Parent & carer support
Support for parents, caregivers, and family members looking for encouragement, shared experiences, and practical connection.
View parent support →Teacher & educator support
Helpful pathways for teachers, educators, and support staff looking for professional and peer-based community support.
View teacher & educator support →Identity & inclusion support
Explore support spaces shaped by identity, lived experience, belonging, culture, inclusion, and community safety.
View identity & inclusion support →Conditions & specific support
Find more targeted support communities based on particular conditions, experiences, or needs.
View specific support →Browse by topic
Some people prefer to search by topic first. These topic pathways can help you locate communities, group spaces, and support networks with a clearer focus.
Mental health support
Explore mental health community spaces, support groups, online forums, and group-based support options for a range of experiences.
Autism support
Find autism support communities, peer spaces, parent-led groups, lived-experience communities, and autism-friendly connection points.
ADHD support
Explore ADHD-focused communities, shared lived-experience support, practical group spaces, and neurodivergent connection points.
Learning disabilities support
Connect with communities for dyslexia, dyscalculia, learning differences, educational support, and everyday shared understanding.
Hidden disabilities support
Support spaces for hidden disabilities, unseen challenges, chronic conditions, and experiences that may not be visible to others.
Need something broader?
Start with the wider community support system and explore by audience, type, or region until you find a pathway that feels right.
Browse by support type
Different support styles work for different people. Some prefer gentle online spaces, while others want more active group conversation or local connection.
Facebook groups
Useful for large communities, local groups, shared lived experiences, and updates from community-led support spaces.
- Often easy to join
- Can be local or international
- Useful for shared experience and practical tips
Discord communities
Helpful for live chat, quieter connection, topic channels, and neurodivergent communities that prefer a more flexible online space.
- Real-time community connection
- Can be moderated by topic
- Often used by younger users and online communities
Forums & discussion boards
Useful for slower-paced conversation, archived advice, and reading shared experiences before joining in yourself.
- Good if live chat feels overwhelming
- Easy to search older discussions
- Can feel less intense than social media
Peer support groups
These groups are often shaped by shared lived experience and mutual understanding rather than formal clinical support.
Explore peer support →Therapy-style groups
Some support systems include professionally facilitated groups focused on skill-building, recovery, or emotional support.
Explore therapy-related support →In-person community groups
Great for people who want face-to-face connection, local belonging, and practical support within their own city or region.
Explore local-style support →Popular community platforms
Support communities can live in many places. Use this section as a guide for where you might find communities around the world.
Large support communities, regional groups, private spaces, and shared-interest group support.
Discord
Live community chat, topic-based channels, and flexible spaces for ongoing support and conversation.
Forums
Searchable discussions, slower paced posting, and helpful advice archives for common support needs.
Apps & digital spaces
Support-focused apps, group discussion spaces, and digital communities designed for safe connection.
How to choose a safer support group
Not every support space feels the same. A safer group should help you feel respected, not pressured. Use these tips to decide whether a space feels right for you.
Good signs to look for
- Clear group rules and respectful boundaries
- Moderation that supports safety and inclusion
- Kind, supportive responses instead of judgment
- Space for different experiences and identities
- Encouragement to seek professional help where needed
Red flags to be careful with
- Pressure to share personal details too quickly
- Shaming, bullying, or dismissive responses
- Unsafe advice or misinformation presented as fact
- Lack of moderation or repeated harmful behaviour
- Anyone trying to exploit vulnerability or urgency
Still not sure where to start?
That’s okay. You do not need to figure everything out at once. Start with the path that feels easiest, then keep going one step at a time. If what you need feels more urgent, use the crisis or emergency pages first.