Abstract
This chapter systematically reviews empirical studies on whether participating in mutual help groups for mental health problems leads to improved psychological and social functioning. It first outlines how mutual help groups fit into the broader picture of mental health self-help initiatives, and discusses some issues involved in conducting effectiveness research on mutual help groups (i.e., how to determine whether they are beneficial to their members). The methods and results of the review are then presented. To be included, studies had to satisfy four sets of criteria, covering: (1) characteristics of the group, (2) target problems, (3) outcome measures, and (4) research design. The 12 studies meeting these criteria provide limited but promising evidence that mutual help groups benefit people with three types of problems: chronic mental illness, depression/anxiety, and bereavement. Seven studies reported positive changes for those attending support groups. The strongest findings come from two randomized trials showing that the outcomes of mutual help groups were equivalent to those of substantially more costly professional interventions. Five of the 12 studies found no differences in mental health outcomes between mutual help group members and non-members; no studies showed evidence of negative effects. There was no indication that mutual help groups were differentially effective for certain types of problems. The studies varied in terms of design quality and reporting of results. More high-quality outcome research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of mutual help groups across the spectrum of mental health problems.
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Pistrang, N., Barker, C., Humphreys, K. (2010). The Contributions of Mutual Help Groups for Mental Health Problems to Psychological Well-Being: A Systematic Review. In: Brown, L., Wituk, S. (eds) Mental Health Self-Help. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6253-9_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6253-9_4
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