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

Abstract

In this virtual special issue, a set of 26 papers previously published in the American Journal of Community Psychology (AJCP), focused on self‐help/mutual aid groups (SH/MAGs), are being curated given their significant impact in this domain. SH/MAGs constitute an important component of the community psychology's proposal to address various psychosocial and health problems. The American Journal of Community Psychology has played an important role in exploring the characteristics of self‐help/mutual aid groups in various fields. These articles cover important areas of the study of self‐help/mutual‐aid groups. More specifically, the selected articles address issues such as the definition and key characteristics of self‐help/mutual aid groups, the main fields that are applied, such as mental health, addictions, and disabilities. The article also addresses important issues such as the place of self‐help/mutual aid groups in health systems, the experiential knowledge generated within these groups and the relationship of health professionals with these groups. The aim is this VSI to contribute to contemporary discussion on self‐help/mutual aid groups, their challenges, and their perspectives and to highlight the crucial role that community psychology has in this field.

Looking back, moving forward: 50 years of the American Journal of Community Psychology

“…From these 22 papers, Hagler and colleagues make recommendations for formal mentoring programs to ensure safe and sustainable mentoring practices and scholarship. Lainas (2023) in his VSI organized articles that described self‐help and mutual aid group efforts published in the pages of AJCP. In his introduction, Lainas details how papers published in AJCP helped to define key characteristics of self‐help and mutual aid groups and examined specific fields where these groups have offered value.…”

“…In his introduction, Lainas details how papers published in AJCP helped to define key characteristics of self‐help and mutual aid groups and examined specific fields where these groups have offered value. Lainas (2023) emphasizes how participatory approaches in these groups have been critical for fostering well‐being both for group members and the groups as a whole and calls for the continued support of these groups as autonomous and self‐governing alternatives to some concerns (Lainas, 2023).…”