While self-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous are becoming more integrated into the professional substance abuse treatment network, many professionals are still hesitant to encourage clients to attend self-help groups after treatment. This study examined what factors predict the degree of cooperation between professional agencies and…

Interviews with 47 health professionals and 49 members of self-help groups identified their views of the roles of professionals in such groups and characteristics of and barriers to effective partnerships. Trust building, empathy, understanding, and balance of power emerged as important themes. (SK)

Study follows a collaborative support group project between a team of health professionals and a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients' group. While advantageous for professionals to decide upon the aim of a joint intervention in dialogue with participants, simply asking participants what their aims are does not guarantee actual agreement. Case study…

Discusses analysis of how members of self-help groups perceived professional involvement and dimensions of such involvement. Three categories were identified according to their main focus: groups dealing with health issues, groups dealing with alternative lifestyles, and groups based on the 12-step model. Analysis yielded two conceptually…

People seeking help for personal problems usually turn to family, friends, and relatives first and then to sources such as neighborhood support systems, self-help groups, and community helpers such as physicians and clergy. These natural support systems need to be used and supported more by mental health professionals. One relationship which could…