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Research Shows Self-Help Support Groups Work

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  • Cut the re-hospitalization of mental health consumers by 50% (4) (7) (10) (12) (16) (19)
  • Reduce the number of days spent in the hospital by one-third (4) (10) (19)
  • Reduce significantly the amount of medication needed to treat mental illness (4) (6) (19)
  • Move large numbers of people out of the system into productive lives (4) (19)
  • Empower participants to collaborate with clinical staff resulting in better adherence to medication regimes (12) (16)
  • Effects are realized in weeks and sustained for years (4) (6) (16) (19) (22)
  • Reduce drug and alcohol abuse (9) (11) (14) (18) (23) (25)
  • Reduce demands on clinicians’ time (8) (16)
  • Increase empowerment (4) (6) (16) (19) (20)
  • Provide community support—the suspected reason that people in developing countries recover from schizophrenia at nearly twice the rate that they do in developed countries (16) (24)(25) (26) (27)
  • Provide mentoring opportunities that improve the outcomes of both the mentor and the person being mentored (5) (17) (21)
  • Reduce criminal behavior (14) (23)
  • Increase family resources and reduce family stress (3)
  • Increase consumer satisfaction (8) (16)
  • Are underutilized by clinicians because of incorrect preconceived ideas about self-help and the lack of professional training on self-help (16) (22)

     Self-Help Bibliography

  1. Bond, G.R. (2001) “Implementing Supported Employment as an Evidenced-Based Practice” Psychiatric Services 52(3):313-322.
  2. Campbell, J & Leaver, J. (2003)  Emerging New Practices In Organized Peer Support  Alexandria, VA:  National Technical Assistance Center for State Mental Health Planning and the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors.
  3. Cook, J. A. et al (1999)”The Effect of Support Group Participation on Caregiver Burden Among Parents of Adult Offspring with Severe Mental Illness” Family Relations 48:405-410.
  4. Edmunson, E.D. et al (1982) “Integrating Skill Building and Peer Support in Mental Health Treatment” in Jeger, G. and Slotnick, R.S. (eds) Community Mental Health and Behavioral Ecology New York:Plenum Press pp. 127-139
  5. Emrick, C. D. et al (1993) “Alcoholics Anonymous: What is currently known?” in McCrady, B. S. and Miller, W. R. (eds) Research on Alcoholics Anonymous: Opportunities and Alternatives New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies pp. 41-75.
  6. Finn, Lizzie (no date) “Mutual Help Groups and psychological wellbeing: A study of GROW, a community mental health organization” Paper distributed on the Self-Help Researchers’ listserv.
  7. Galanter, M. (1988) “Zealous Self-Help Groups as Adjuncts to Psychiatric Treatment: A Study of Recovery, Inc.” American Journal of Psychiatry 145(10):1248-1253.
  8. Hodges, J. Q. et al (2003) “Use of Self-Help Services and Consumer Satisfaction with Professional Mental Health Services” Psychiatric Services Vol 54 No. 8 1161-1163.
  9. Humphreys, K. & Moos, R. (2001) “Can encouraging substance abuse patients to participate in self-help groups reduce demand for health care?” Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 25:711-716.
  10. Kennedy, M. (1990) Psychiatric Hospitalizations of GROWers. Paper presented at the Second Biennial Conference on Community Research and Action, East Lansing, Michigan.
  11. Kingree, J. B. & Thompson, M. (2000) Mutual help Groups, Perceived Status Benefits, and Well-Being: A Test with Adult Children of Alcoholics with Personal Substance Abuse Problems” American Journal of Community Psychology 28:325-342.
  12. L. F. (1988) “Mutual Aid for Affective Disorders: The Manic Depressive and Depressive Association.” American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 58(1):152-155.
  13. Lieberman, M. & Snowden, L. (1994). “Problems in Assessing Prevalence and Membership Characteristics of Self-Help Group Participants.”  In Powel, T. (ed) Understanding The Self-Help Organization:  Frameworks And Findings pp. 32-49.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
  14. McAuliffe, W. E. (1990) “A Randomized Controlled Trial of Recovery and Self-Help for Opiod Addicts in New England and Hong Kong” Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 22(2): 197-209.
  15. Mental Health Policy Resource Center (1991) “The Growing Mental Health Self-Help Movement.” Policy In Perspective  Washington, D.C.
  16. National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association (1999) National DMDA Support Group Survey: Does Participation in a support group increase treatment compliance? Chicago: DMDA
  17. Powell, T.J. et al (2000) “Encouraging people with mood disorders to attend a self-help group” Journal of Applied Social Psychology 30:2270-2288.
  18. Pisani, V. D. et al (1993) “The Relative Contributions of Medication Adherence and AA Meeting Attendance to Abstinent Outcome for Chronic Alcoholics” Journal of Studies on Alcohol 54:115-119.
  19. Raiff, N.D. (1984) “Some Health Related Outcomes of Self-Help Participation: Recovery, Inc. as a Case Example of a Self-Help Organization in Mental Health” in Gartner, A. and Riessman, F. (eds) The Self-Help Revolution New York: Human Sciences Press pp. 183-193.
  20. Roberts, L. J. et al (1999) “Giving and Receiving Help: Interpersonal Transactions in Mutual-Help Meetings and Psychosocial Adjustment of Members” American Journal of Community Psychology 27:841-868.
  21. Sisson, R. W. (1981) “The Use of Systematic Encouragement and Community Access Procedures to Increase Attendance at Alcoholic Anonymous and Al-Anon Meetings” American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 8(3):371-376
  22. Snyder, M. D. and Weyer, M.E. (2000) “Collaboration and Partnership:Nursing Education and Self-Help Groups” Nursing Connections Vol. 13 No. 1 Spring
  23. Watson, C. G. et al (1997) “A Comparative Outcome Study of Frequent, Moderate, Occasional, and Non-attenders of Alcoholics Anonymous” Journal of Clinical Psychology 53:209-214.
  24. The World Health Report (2001) “Schizophrenia” in Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope.
  25. John F Kelly, Alexandra Abry, Marica Ferri, Keith Humphreys, Alcoholics Anonymous and 12-Step Facilitation Treatments for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Distillation of a 2020 Cochrane Review for Clinicians and Policy Makers, Alcohol and Alcoholism, Volume 55, Issue 6, November 2020, Pages 641–651, https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agaa050
  26. Drebing, C. E., Reilly, E., Henze, K. T., Kelly, M., Russo, A., Smolinsky, J., Gorman, J., & Penk, W. E. (2018). Using peer support groups to enhance community integration of veterans in transition. Psychological Services, 15(2), 135–145.
  27. Lee MH, Seo MK. Community Integration of Persons with Mental Disorders Compared with the General Population. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(5):1596. Published 2020 Mar 2. doi:10.3390/ijerph17051596

Research Shows Peer Outreach is Essential

Click for pdf: Research Shows Peer Outreach is Essential.pdf

  • Use of Peer staff with homeless individuals results in decreases in the number of homeless days and reduced relapse to homelessness. (2; 3; 14)
  • Use of Peer staff with homeless individuals results in significant increased rates of employment and satisfaction with finances. (6; 17)
  • Peer staff are more willing and better to engage mentally ill people on the street. (9)
  • Peer based outreach and the use of the expertise of homeless and formerly homeless persons should be actively sought out. (5)
  • Employing Peers is a key component of building trust in homeless outreach. (7)
  • Outreach conducted by peers is effective in locating, engaging, and completing assessments of the clients’ perceived needs. (5)
  • Peers convey a sense of understanding and make a bridge between street life and the world of “professionals” whom homeless individuals don’t initially trust. (5)
  • Peer outreach strategies reduce HIV risk in low-income, drug-using communities. (8)
  • Peer support has significant impacts on quality of life, drug/alcohol use, and social support. (1)
  • Shared experiences, role modeling, and social support are suggested to be vital aspects of peer support and moderate changes in homeless clients. (1)
  • Peers reduce hospital admissions, relapses, increase coping skills, and improve overall quality of life for those with mental illness. (4; 11; 12; 16)
  • Peers have a unique ability to engage with those who are socially excluded. (10; 14).
  • Peers have experiential knowledge which enables them to genuinely empathize and connect with clients. (1)

References

  1. Barker, S. L., Maguire, N., Bishop, F., & Stopa, L. (2017). Critical elements of peer support and the experience of peer supporters helping the homeless. Manuscript in prep.
  2. Bean, K. F., Shafer, M. S., & Glennon, M. (2013). The impact of housing first and peer support on people who are medically vulnerable and homeless. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 36(1), 48–50. doi:10.1037/h0094748.
  3. Boisvert, R. A., Martin, L. M., Grosek, M., & Clarie, A. J. (2008). Effectiveness of a peer-support community in addiction recovery: participation as intervention. Occupational Therapy International, 15(4), 205–220.
  4. Davidson, L., Chinman, M., Sells, D., & Rowe, M. (2006). Peer support among adults with serious mental illness: a report from the field. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 32(3), 443–450. doi:10.1093/schbul/sbj043.
  5. Erickson S, Page J. To dance with grace: outreach and engagement to persons on the street. In: Fosburg LB, Dennis DL, Eds. Practical Lessons: The 1998 National Symposium on Homelessness Research Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; U.S Department of Health and Human Services 1999.
  6. Felton, C. J., Stastny, P., Shern, D. L., Blanch, A., Donahue, S. A., Knight, E., & Brown, C. (1995). Consumers as peer specialists on intensive case management teams: impact on client outcomes.Psychiatric Services, 46(10), 1037–1044. doi:10.1176/ ps.46.10.1037.
  7. Kryda AD, Compton MT. Mistrust of outreach workers and lack of confidence in available services among individuals who are chronically street homeless. Commun Ment Health J 2009; 45: 14450.Latkin, C. A., Sherman, S., & Knowlton, A. (2003). HIV prevention among drug users: Outcome of a network-oriented peer outreach intervention. Health Psychology, 22(4), 332–339. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.22.4.332
  8. Lyons JS, Cook JA, Ruth AR, et al. Service delivery using consumer staff in a mobile crisis assessment program. Commun Ment Health J 1996; 32: 33-40.
  9. Pilote, L., Tulsky, J. P., Zolopa, A. R., Hahn, J. A., Schecter, G. F., & Moss, A. R. (1996). Tuberculosis prophylaxis in the homeless. A trial to improve adherence to referral. Archives of Internal Medicine, 156(2), 161–165.
  10. Salzer, M. S. (2002). Consumer-delivered services as a best practice in mental health care delivery and the development of practice guidelines. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Skills, 6(3), 355–382. doi:10.1080/10973430208408443.
  11.  Solomon, P. (2004). Peer support/peer provided services underlying processes, benefits, and critical ingredients. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 27(4), 392–401.
  12. Stahler, G. J., Shipley, T. E., Kirby, K. C., Godboldte, C., Kerwin, M. E., Shandler, I., et al. (2005). Development and initial demonstration of a community-based intervention for homeless, cocaine-using, African American women. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 28, 171–179.
  13. Tulsky, J. P., Pilote, L., Hahn, J. A., Zolopa, A. J., Burke, M., Chesney, M., & Moss, A. R. (2000). Adherence to isoniazid prophylaxis in the homeless: a randomized controlled trial. Archives of Internal Medicine, 160(5), 697–702.
  14. van Vugt, M. D., Kroon, H., Delespaul, P. A., & Mulder, C. L. (2012). Consumer-providers in assertive community treatment programs: associations with client outcomes. Psychiatric Services, 63(5), 477–481. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.201000549.
  15. Wallcraft, J., Rose, D., Reid, J., & Sweeney, A. (2003). On our own terms: Users and survivors of mental health services working together for support and change. London: Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health.
  16. Weissman, E. M., Covell, N. H., Kushner, M., Irwin, J., & Essock, S. M. (2005). Implementing peer-assisted case management to help homeless veterans with mental illness transition to independent housing. Community Mental Health Journal, 41(3), 267–276. doi:10.1007/s10597-005-5001-2.

SHARE! Offers Research Opportunities

Click for pdf: SHARE! Offers Research Opportunities

SHARE! makes a special effort to partner with researchers as all of SHARE!’s programs are informed by research.   Past collaborations include:

a) SHARE! arranging for surveys to be filled out by 100 to 200 SHARE! participants,
b) reviewing manuscripts on self-help related topics,
c) being primary informants for promising self-help support group practices and,
d) allowing students to study SHARE!’s structure and management.

If you have an idea, we are happy to discuss it with you! Call (310) 846-5270 to speak to someone today regarding how SHARE! can partner with you on your research.

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