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…

The document describes a behavior modification program for adolescents in a residential treatment center and presents results of research which illustrate positive results. The self-instructional program focuses on teaching the adolescent self-verbalizations which are conducive to supportive behavior. Five phases are required. First, the…

In recent years, mutual help groups have been formed to address problems in substance abuse, chronic physical illness, mental illness, marital disruption, and child abuse. Despite the proliferation of these groups, little research has been conducted to assess their efficacy or what happens in them. The nature of mutual help groups (N=32) was…

Psychological well-being following mastectomy is a concern of rehabilitation psychologists as the life expectancy of women treated for breast cancer is increasing. Well-being can be threatened by stress that these women may suffer from the diagnosis of cancer and amputation of a significant body part. A study was conducted to examine the…

Both urine alarms and dry bed training (DBT) have been used in the treatment of enuresis. To investigate the acceptability of the most recent version of DBT and urine alarm training, two studies were conducted. In the first study, the evaluation of 42 parents, who had participated in an 8-week program of either DBT or urine alarm training, were…

Abuse of alcohol or other substances by schizophrenic patients seriously undermines effective treatment. To document the extent of substance abuse among schizophrenic patients hospitalized in one Veterans Administration Hospital, medical records of 100 patients were reviewed. The results revealed that 54 patients had recent substance abuse, with…

This study examined Toughlove, the controversial self-help organization for parents and out-of-control adolescents. Six small group Toughlove meetings containing an average of 8 members for each were observed, and questionnaires were completed by 75 Toughlove parents from 8 states. Variables examined include the roles of empathy, assertiveness…

Supplementing a national survey of self-help group members, a study examined the functioning of an epilepsy self-help group in order to identify communication patterns establishing mutual aid. An examination of eight tape-recorded sessions was combined with an observer's field notes to develop a profile of the group. Analysis revealed a loosely…

Church-based programs for caregivers of black elders have emerged from both demographic and cultural factors. To investigate the effectiveness of a training program for caregivers of noninstitutionalized elders, 95 Washington, D.C. adults (99% black, 87% female), who were providing caregiving assistance to an older adult, completed a 12-hour…

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…

The purpose of this study was to determine what kinds of people are motivated to join a medical self-help group and whether and in what areas of psychological and social functioning such self-help groups have positive benefits for adolescents and their families. Extensive survey questionnaires were sent throughout the United States to all former…

While numerous approaches to inhibit smoking have appeared in the literature, self-management is one technique that allows the client to take a more active part in the treatment. To study the effectiveness of self-management in a single-subject design, an 18 year old female college student who smoked mostly on weekends was told to self-monitor her…

A recent review of published and unpublished data suggests that the elderly are underrepresented in most self-help groups. Some national groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous do serve the aged but many others such as widow groups do not. A recent national survey of over 3,000 households conducted by Mellinger and Balter examined the use of…

As self-help groups have grown in number, mental health professionals have found themselves increasingly involved in such groups. This study examined how mental health professionals viewed the appropriateness of a variety of roles sometimes assumed by mental health professionals when they work with self-help groups. Social workers, psychologists,…

Self-help programs can be used to replace, complement, or supplement formal treatment, but their effectiveness has been underestimated. To test the effectiveness of bibliotherapy in the treatment of problem drinkers, six studies were conducted over 7 years (1975-1982) comparing different treatment approaches. The combined data showed that for…