Identification of Components Associated with the Operation of Mutual Aid Groups: A Scoping Review

Abstract

This research aims to identify the components associated with the benefits of Mutual Aid Groups (mags). Although they have been singled out by the evidence, specific information on their nuclear components is lacking. Based on the methodological approach of Arksey and O’Malley and the Joanna Briggs Institute, all research studies (Pubmed, Scopus, Scielo, Embase, and Redalyc) and gray literature examining these groups were included. The search was carried out throughout 2022 with the following codes: mutual aid groups; self-help groups. We reviewed 62 papers and 37 were included from a total of 2064 articles. The study shows that the components associated with beneficial results are: active agency, coping strategies, recognition, management of emotions, problem-solving strategies, supportive interaction, trust, self-identity construction, and strengthening of social networks. Thus, it reaffirms that mags are an effective option to address health problems. The application of these components could also contribute to achieve these benefits.

Design and validation of a scale of core components of community interventions in mental health

“…The Mutual Aid component showed a statistically significant correlation with Improvement in the quality of life, Building Skills for Life and Increasing Hope. The total sum of the MAS showed a correlation with all the benefits found in the literature 9 (See Table 3).…”

“…Although global mental health policy points to the need to implement community‐based strategies, such as support groups or mutual aid groups, 5 there are significant implementation problems, especially in low‐ and middle‐income countries 25 . These implementation problems are related to a lack of knowledge of the core components of these strategies 9,11 . For this reason, the present study has been proposed to develop and validate an instrument to identify the nuclear components of community strategies for mental health, especially group strategies, which focused on the components that could be considered essential or core components for the development of these strategies.…”

“…The information was taken with an instrument designed to determine the application of nuclear components in mutual aid groups. This scale was based on the core components of mutual aid groups, 9 which were established as active agency, coping strategies, recognition and management of emotions, problem solving, support interaction, confidence, identity construction and strengthening of social networks.…”

“…Subsequently, correlations were made with the benefits of the community interventions described by Agudelo‐Hernández et al., 9 namely, Improvement in quality of life, Learning in mental health, Improvement in social functioning, Improvement in life skills, Increased Hope. These were determined on a Likert‐type scale where 0 = absent and 4 = very present.…”

“…The core components are some techniques, contents, skills or principles that are essential for a greater effectiveness of the strategies, in addition to serving as a point of reference to understand, apply and evaluate an intervention 9–11 . Greater knowledge of the common components of community mental health strategies can facilitate future implementation efforts by revealing common ground for building and predicting the accompanying elements that may be most resistant to change.…”