The contribution of self-help/mutual aid groups to mental well-being

Abstract

This article explores the contribution of self-help/mutual aid groups to mental well-being. Self-help/mutual aid groups are self-organising groups where people come together to address a shared a health or social issue through mutual support. They are associated with a range of health and social benefits, but remain poorly understood. This article draws on data from stage one of ESTEEM, a project which runs from 2010 to 2013. Stage one ran from 2010 to 2011 and involved participatory, qualitative research carried out in two UK sites. Twenty-one groups were purposively selected to include a range of focal issues, longevity, structures and ethnic backgrounds. Researchers carried out 21 interviews with group coordinators and twenty group discussions with members to explore the groups' purpose, nature and development. Preliminary analysis of the data suggested that mental well-being was a common theme across the groups. Subsequently the data were re-analysed to explore the groups' contribution to mental well-being using a checklist of protective factors for mental well-being as a coding framework. The findings showed that groups made a strong contribution to members' mental well-being by enhancing a sense of control, increasing resilience and facilitating participation. Group members were uplifted by exchanging emotional and practical support; they gained self-esteem, knowledge and confidence, thereby increasing their control over their situation. For some groups, socio-economic factors limited their scope and threatened their future. The article provides an evidence-base which illustrates how self-help/mutual aid groups can enhance mental well-being. If supported within a strategy for social justice, these groups enable people with varied concerns to develop a tailored response to their specific needs. The authors suggest that policy-makers engage with local people, investing in support proportionate to the needs of different populations, enabling them to develop their own self-help/mutual aid groups to enhance their sense of mental well-being.

Mutual Help Group for Family Members of Older Adults With Dementia: Unveiling Perspectives

“…17 Similar data were found in a study performed with participants of an MHG for relatives of people with Parkinson's disease, in which the participation in the group was highlighted as a beneficial experience due to the participants helping each other, creating a social support network. 18 This positive experience meets the findings reported by participants from other Mutual Help Groups who reported having become more confident and informed in dealing with their problems and in understanding the treatment from their experiences in the MHG.…”

“…This finding corroborates members' speeches from other MHGs, where members passed on group learning to family, friends and organizations in order to raise awareness and reduce the stigma. 17 Among the motivations pointed out, the desire to perform volunteer work was mentioned. A study carried out with MHG coordinators for family caregivers of people with dementia described previous experience in help groups, their desire to share with new caregivers their personal experiences, as well as personal benefits to volunteers as being motivations to exercise voluntary work.…”

“…18 This positive experience meets the findings reported by participants from other Mutual Help Groups who reported having become more confident and informed in dealing with their problems and in understanding the treatment from their experiences in the MHG. 17 In relation to the learning experience reported by relatives and professional volunteers, one can perceive a horizontal construction of knowledge, breaking from the hierarchy of biomedical power. This shows the participation in the group as a process of collective knowledge construction.…”

“…19 Other researchers have also found value in being together due to the care received and the possibility of conversing with people in similar situations. [16][17][18] In analyzing the reports of the members of this research in comparison to other MHGs described in the literature, we highlight many similarities and some differences. Discovering these relations of similarities and differences which are characteristics of a particular cultural context is essential for practicing culturally meaningful, therapeutic, congruent, and safe care.…”

A qualitative study of 2Create: A mental health service user-led art group

“…Elsdon, Reynolds, & Stewart, 2000;Seebohm et al, 2013;Wilson, 1994). Whilst professionals may provide initial support, these groups are organised by and for their members (e.g.…”