Self-Help/Mutual Aid Groups and Peer Support

Abstract

English-language social and behavioral science research into US self-help/mutual aid groups and nonprofit organizations (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous, Parents Without Partners, or bereavement groups) is reviewed. The review begins in the 1960s and proceeds into the new millennium, when institutionalized self-help/mutual aid was co-opted and renamed “support groups” by professionals. SHGs are intentionally created, single-issue, voluntary member-run mutual benefit groups that value the authority of lived experience, are cost-free, and where peers give and receive help from each other. Research attention expanded to European and Asian research in the 1990s, but has now switched to mental health peer support.

Self-help groups as a social rosource in times of crisis

“…Self-help groups represent an important resource for social support in its various functional aspects; emotional, informational and instrumental. There is also evidence that they contribute positively in the resilience building processes and the general well-being of its members (Borkman et al 2020). While some studies are more interested in the economic benefits of self-help groups, further research is needed to explore the psychological and social processes of these groups, especially in times of crises, and their potential role in adverse social contexts.…”

Self‐help/mutual aid groups for health and psychosocial problems: Key features and their perspectives in the 21st century

“…Second, we reviewed the collected papers. Moreover, we reviewed a more elongated body of significant literature around SH/MAGs (Archibald, 2007; Borkman, 1999; Borkman et al, 2020; Brown & Wituk, 2010; Katz et al, 1992; Kurtz, 1997; Matzat, 2001, 2006; Munn‐Giddings & Borkman, 2018; Powel, 1994; Riessman & Carroll, 1995). A series of main themes around SH/MAGs emerged based on the review of the two bodies of literature (AJCP papers and the vast body of literature) combined with the author's 22 years of experience in the field (Lainas, 2013; Zafiridis & Lainas, 2012a).…”

“…This paper highlights the perspective of those directly involved in the organizations and proposes a comprehensive framework for understanding the functioning of consumer‐run organizations. This article also raises concerns that are still relevant to the field of SH/MAGs today: the importance of autonomous and independent action by organizations, the importance of peer governance, and the risk of losing independence due to external influences (Borkman et al, 2020; Matzat, 2006; Zafiridis & Lainas, 2012a).…”

“…The relevance of the principles of community psychology to SH/MAGs, the application by groups in praxis of these basic principles and their widespread use in addressing many human problems have thus made groups a distinct field of engagement for community psychology. This is evident in the work of prominent community psychologists where the partnerships they developed with SH/MAGs and the research they implemented created a distinct field of research and intervention (Borkman et al, 2020; Brown, 2009; Humphreys & Rappaport, 1994; Levy, 2000; Rappaport et al, 1985; Rappaport, 1993).…”

Supporting Masculinities: Wounded Healing and Masculinity in Peer Support Organizations for People with Experiences of Criminality and Substance Abuse

“…A number of similar organizations have started up since then. 4 PESOs such as CRIS are based on the idea of self-help and are characterized by the emphasis on experiential knowledge (Borkman et al, 2020;Helminen, 2016;Karlsson, 2006;Silverman, 2011;South et al, 2017). Unlike lay knowledge (e.g., common sense ideas, folk knowledge) and professional knowledge (based on theory or scientific principles), experiential knowledge is grounded in lived experience and embodied practices (Noorani et al, 2019).…”