Self-Help and Mutual Aid Groups International and Multicultural Perspectives

Here is new information on the development of international and intercultural research on self-help groups. This book reflects the many developments which have occurred in the field over the past decade, emphasizing empirical research. Self-Help and Mutual Aid Groups provides specific research findings and honed concepts to help health professionals learn more about self-help groups and work effectively with such groups. More countries and ethnic groups are now involved in the self-help movement, and this volume increases knowledge of how different cultures react to and participate in self-help mutual aid and how self-help groups can be adapted to fit different racial or ethnic populations. Self-Help and Mutual Aid Groups explores the definition of self-help, the centrality of culture as a major factor explaining variability in self-help, the development of appropriate methodological tools, and the role and involvement of professionals. It brings together different traditions of research for the study of cross- and intercultural and inter- and intraorganizational aspects of self-help groups. Contributors who represent various disciplines, including psychology, sociology, social work, and nursing, discuss:

• a paradigm for research in self-help
• the development of self-help groups in Japan, Hong Kong, and the former East Germany
• the participation of blacks in Alcoholics Anonymous
• the participation of Mexican Americans in groups for parents of the mentally ill
• relationships between self-help groups and health professionals
• predictors of burnout in self-help group leaders
• characteristics of effective groups
• ways individuals change their world view through self-help participationSelf-Help and Mutual Aid Groups is an informative and helpful resource for self-help researchers and teachers, students, and professionals who want to be more effective in their work with self-help groups across cultural and national lines.

Contents
Preface

• Universal and Particular Attributes of Self-Help: A Framework for International and Intranational Analysis
• Participatory Action Research as a Strategy for Studying Self-Help Groups Internationally
• Self-Help Groups in Japan: Trends and Traditions
• The Development of Self-Help in Germany’s New Provinces (Former East Germany): The Case of Schwerin
• Advocacy on Self-Help for Patients With Chronic Illness: The Hong Kong Experience
• Mexican American and Anglo American Parents of the Mentally Ill: Attitudes and Participation in Family Support Groups
• Are Twelve Step Programs Appropriate for Disenfranchised Groups? Evidence From a Study of Posttreatment Mutual Help Involvement
• Understanding Worldview Transformation in Members of Mutual Help Groups
• Partnerships Between Health Professionals and Self-Help Groups: Meanings and Mechanisms
• Predictors of Burnout Among Self-Help Group Leaders
• Social Climate Correlates of Effectiveness in Alliance for the Mentally Ill Groups
• The Involvement of Self-Help Groups With Mental Health and Medical Professionals: The Self-Helpers’ Perspective
• Workshop on “Good Practice” in the Collaboration Between Professionals and Mutual Aid Groups
• Self-Help Group Participation Among People With Severe Mental Illness
• Conclusion
• Index
• Reference Notes Included