In humanitarian settings, mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSS) are often delivered in group-based formats. Group interventions enable providers to reach more individuals when resources and technical expertise are limited. Group-based programs also foster social support, empathy, and collective problem-solving among the…

Objective: Coping strategies of men who were sexually abused in childhood were examined to ascertain their relationship to clinical diagnoses. Time elapsed since the abuse occurred was examined for its relationship to psychological functioning. Clinical psychopathology of this primary sample of sexually abused men was compared to a community…

Describes Comunidades Eclesial de Base (CEBs) or base communities which are self-help and mutual aid groups that assist in alleviating the effects of poverty and powerlessness in Latin America. Discusses two potential problems of CEBs - that they may encourage either passivity or increased violence. (Author/NB)

Self-help groups (SHGs) have emerged as an effective mechanism of empowerment and development of women as well as being on efficient mode of promoting group action and technology dissemination. Initiatives were undertaken at the Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET), Ludhiana to facilitate the formation of women's…

The important role of the self-help approach in helping persons deal with medical, emotional, and practical effects of a sudden disability is considered in a discussion of the work of the Spinal Injuries Association in Britain. Services that can be provided and controlled by disabled persons are described. (Author/CB)

Mother Centers are a grassroots self-help movement in Germany that help stay-at-home mothers break through the isolation they experience in German society when they have children and are not available for full-time employment. There are about 300 mother center projects currently in Germany, including 40 in the former East Germany. The programs…

The Child Protection Center in Lubeck (Germany) offers a nonpunitive, self-help approach to prevent child abuse by encouraging families to determine their own needs. Over half of families served over a two-year period were self-reported and almost one-fifth received help to prevent violence against children before the occurrence of child abuse or…

This document presents a discussion of how to set up an on-campus peer support system designed to help college students cope with stress. The possible functions of a peer support center are outlined and features of a proposal for such a center are listed, including a clear mandate of the center, a rationale for the services to be provided, a list…

Describes the Canadian government's New Horizons program which sponsors projects begun and run by older adults. Shows how policy can assist the evolution of seniors' activities and can help seniors play active parts in society. Discusses the cost and benefits of such a program. (Author/ABB)

Observed 2 Gamblers Anonymous (GA) groups in South Wales over a 12-month period. Determined 2 broad consequences arose from encountering fellow sufferers: acceptance of diagnosis and commitment to recovery and to will of GA, or rejection of the diagnosis with the knowledge that they are returning to the outside world with a reconstituted…

Describes working conditions of female household servants in Colombia. Reviews history of support groups assisting household workers and subsequent expansion into successful movement for workers' legal rights and social security. "Women's work" has gained some respect as household workers strive to participate in ongoing social changes.…

To evaluate the impacts of participation in mental health Consumer/Survivor Initiatives (CSIs), we used a nonequivalent control group design to compare new, active participants in CSIs ( n = 61) with nonactive participants ( n = 57) at baseline, 9-month, and 18-month follow-up intervals. The two groups were comparable at baseline on a wide range…

This article examines the outcomes of participation in mental health Consumer/Survivor Initiatives (CSIs) and identifies helpful qualities of CSIs through a longitudinal, qualitative study that involved in-depth interviews of people who experienced severe mental health challenges in Ontario, Canada. We used a nonequivalent control group design in…

A participatory action research process was used to support an Aboriginal men's group in Queensland (Australia). Using a reflective approach, the men's group defined principles and values to which they aspired, then identified four strategies to enable them to become constructive members of the community: personal development, employment,…

For most distance education (DE) systems, distance, time, and/or opportunity isolate learners from their teacher and their fellow students. To facilitate interaction, most DE systems include different types of support groups. Modern technology allows groups to interact effectively even though individuals are far apart. Technology may appear to be…