Anxiety Management in the Community: A Social Support Model and Preliminary Evaluation

Abstract

It is becoming increasingly evident that informal psychotherapy plays a significant part in the coping strategies people use to alleviate personal distress. A form of this “social support” was evaluated in a pilot study in which ex-clients served as therapists for informal community groups made up of people experiencing clinical anxiety. Three major questions were addressed: what are the training effects of a short workshop on the ex-clients' social support skills?; can the trained ex-clients help people suffering with clinical anxiety?; and finally, does this involvement have an adverse effect on the psychological well being of these lay therapists. Between and within group analyses with multiple measures indicated that the workshop was successful in all three targeted areas. Implications are drawn for the pattern of formal psychotherapy services.

Analysis of the forms, functions and facilitation of social support in one English county: a way for professionals to improve the quality of health care

“…This can, therefore, represent an efficient deployment of scarce professional time, as the voluntary services may be enabling users to avoid and reduce their demands on formal services. Milne et al (1989) offer an illustration. By facilitating social support in this way, mental health professionals can strengthen the "so vital and yet so problematic" partnership with the voluntary sector (Simpson, 1996, p. 361) and prevent this aspect of the community care programme from faltering (Wistow, 1995).…”

Social Supporters and Behaviour Therapists: Three Studies on the Form and Function of their Help

“…Clearly this is required before we are in a position to judge the importance of social support. In a related study with ex-clients as therapists, we did evaluate the health impact on clients and found evidence indicating that such help was clinically beneficial (Milne, Jones and Walters, 1989). However, these subjects were not typical of such informal helpers as stylists, having received intensive individual therapy and substantial amounts of training.…”

Walk Free: A Service for Panic and Phobia Sufferers

“…Former clients can be trained to act as group leaders for people with problems similar to those that they have overcome. For sufferers of anxiety, Milne, Jones and Walters (1989) found it was possible to train ex-clients to lead therapeutic groups, without adverse effects on the leaders' own mental well-being.…”