An Ethnographic-Discursive Approach to Parental Self-Help Groups

Abstract

Mutual aid groups have become a common form of help in the mental health field. Although self-help groups are associated with a range of health and social benefits, they remain poorly understood in terms of the dynamics of their interactions. Adopting an ethnographic-discursive approach, we conducted a 6-month observation of the meetings of a self-help group of parents with children diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to analyze the discursive dynamics of the interactions that characterized the group. Using a set of discursive strategies and practices, the parents promoted a homogeneity of viewpoints and experiences within the group and constructed a shared and consensual narrative to endorse a specific understanding of ADHD. The production of both homogeneity within the group and a shared narrative served to absolve parents of guilt, helped parents to signify their experience within a blaming social context, and preserved their identities as "good parents."

Failing to Meet the Good Parent Ideal: Self-Stigma in Parents of Children with Mental Health Disorders

“…Cognitive behavioural strategies have been found to be effective in addressing stigma-related negative self-beliefs (Mittal et al 2012), and may be applicable in the parent context. Parents report that peer led family support groups (e.g., 'In Our Own Voice-Family Companion; Perlick et al 2011) are helpful in normalising their situation, provide a means for sharing experiences with similar others and create positive social comparisons (Frigerio and Montali 2015). However, we offer a rather disparate range of possible supports.…”

Parent Participation in a Support Group for Families with Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Children: “Being in the Company of Others Who Do Not Question the Reality of Our Experience”

“…Participation led to ''mutuality of support,'' new connections, and ''equitable'' friendships for parents and their trans/GNC children that involved ''no judgment.'' 18 Participation helped family dynamics, bringing joy and hope back to some trans/ GNC children and opening up channels of communication within families. 18 Perhaps unconsciously, parents and caregivers developed common language and a shared narrative around their experience of parenting a trans/GNC child, anchored by the sentiment that they were supporting their trans/GNC child.…”

“…18 Participation helped family dynamics, bringing joy and hope back to some trans/ GNC children and opening up channels of communication within families. 18 Perhaps unconsciously, parents and caregivers developed common language and a shared narrative around their experience of parenting a trans/GNC child, anchored by the sentiment that they were supporting their trans/GNC child. This helped to normalize their experience and offered some protection from family, friends, and a society who would blame them for the challenges they faced.…”

Asociaciones y disociaciones: agentes, discursos y controversias en torno a la hiperactividad infantil

“…Las asociaciones de salud y los grupos de ayuda mutua se articulan desde la interacción social según entornos socioculturales, políticos y sanitarios específicos para hacer frente a sus necesidades y elevar sus demandas de manera situada. Por ello, para entender la configuración, causas y acciones de los grupos en torno al TDAH, estos necesitan ser situados en los contextos nacionales en los que se desarrollan y conforman, tal y como ya se ha hecho en anteriores estudios sobre grupos de padres en distintos países europeos como Francia, Irlanda, Italia y Reino Unido (4,21,22,23) . A partir de las diferentes iniciativas colectivas de madres y padres de niños diagnosticados con TDAH, trataremos de mostrar sus modelos y estrategias de participación en salud, sus procesos de (des)identificación con el conocimiento experto y las actividades de producción de conocimiento desarrolladas en un escenario de controversia entre modelos explicativos.…”