In the support group , members provide each other with various types of assistance, usually non-professional and nonmaterial, for special characteristics shared, usually burdensome. Members with the same problem can come together to share coping strategies, to feel more empowered and for a sense of community. Such assistance can be the provision and evaluation of relevant information, linking personal experiences, listening and receiving experiences of others, providing sympathetic understanding and building social networks. Support groups can also work to inform the public or engage in advocacy.
Video Support group
Histori
Formal support groups may appear to be a modern phenomenon, but they complement traditional brotherhood organizations such as Freemasonry in some respects, and can build certain supportive functions (formerly) done in extended (extended) families.
Other types of groups that are formed to support causes, including outside causes, are more commonly called advocacy groups interest groups ,
Maps Support group
Retain contact
Support groups maintain interpersonal contact among their members in various ways. Traditionally, groups have met privately in sizes that allow conversation interaction. Support groups also maintain contacts through printed bulletins, telephone chains, internet forums and mailing lists. Some support groups are exclusively online (see below).
Membership in some support groups is officially controlled, with admission requirements and membership fees. The other groups are "open" and allow anyone to attend the advertised meetings, for example, or participate in online forums.
Management by colleagues or professionals
The self help support group is fully organized and managed by its members, who are generally volunteers and have personal experience in the subject of group focus. These groups may also be referred to as partnerships , peer support groups lay organizations , mutual aid groups , or self help groups help each other .
A professionally operated support group is facilitated by professionals most often not sharing member issues, such as social workers, psychologists, or clerical members. The facilitator controls the discussion and provides other managerial services. Such professionally operated groups are often found in institutional settings, including hospitals, drug-treatment centers, and correctional facilities. This type of support group can run for a certain period of time, and attendance fees are sometimes charged.
Type
In case of illness, identity or pre-disposition, for example, support groups will provide information, act as empty homes for experience, and can serve as a public relations voice for sufferers, other members, and their families. Compare Mensa International and gay pride, for example.
For more temporary conditions, such as the loss or problems of ex-cult members, a support group may be more inclined toward helping those involved to overcome or move "beyond" their conditions/experiences.
Some of the support groups and conditions that make up the group are:
Online support groups
At least since 1982, the Internet has provided a place for support groups. Discussing an online self-help group as a precursor to e-therapy, Martha Ainsworth notes that "the eternal successes of these groups have strongly established the potential for computer-mediated communication to enable discussion of sensitive personal issues."
The appropriate group is still hard to find
A researcher from University College London says the lack of qualitative directories, and the fact that many support groups are not listed by search engines can make finding the appropriate group difficult. Nevertheless, he says that the medical community needs to "to understand the use of personal experience rather than an evidence-based approach... these groups also have an impact on how individuals use information." They can help people learn how to find and use information: for example, users exchange websites and discuss Web sites. "
It's not hard to find an online support group, but it's hard to find a good one. In the What to Look For in a Quality Online Support Group , John M. Grohol provides tips for evaluating online groups and countries: "In a good online support group, members survive long after they receive support they are looking for. They stayed because they wanted to give others what they found in the group. Psychologists call this high group cohesion, and this is the peak of group achievement. "
Benefits and traps
Several studies have shown the importance of the internet in providing social support, especially for groups with chronic health problems. Especially in the case of unusual illnesses, a sense of fellowship and understanding though large geographical distances can be important, in addition to sharing knowledge.
Online support groups, online communities for those affected by common problems, support each other and provide information, two features that are often inseparable. They, according to Henry Potts of University College London, "neglected resources for patients." Many studies have looked at message content , while important is the effect that participation in groups against individuals. Potts complains that research on these groups has been missed, especially in groups formed by people with problems, not by researchers and health care professionals. User-defined groups can share the kind of practical knowledge that health care professionals can ignore, and they also impact how individuals find, interpret, and use information.
There are many benefits to online support groups that have been discovered through research studies. Although users of online support groups are not required to be anonymous, a study conducted by Baym (2010) found that anonymity benefited those who were lonely or anxious. This is not related to some people looking for support groups, as not all are lonely and/or anxious, but for those who are, online support groups are great outlets where people can feel comfortable expressing themselves honestly because other users do not know who they are.
A study was conducted by Walther and Boyd (2000) and they found a general trend why people find online support groups interesting. First, the social distance between online members reduces the embarrassment and they appreciate the range of expertise offered in the larger online social networks. Furthermore, they found that anonymity increases one's confidence in providing support to others and reduces shame. Social support website users are more comfortable to re-read and edit their discussion forums and entries before sending them, and they have access to websites anytime of the day. Each of these online support group characteristics is not offered when logged into a private support group.
In a study conducted by Gunther Eysenbach, John Powell, Marina Englesakis, Carlos Rizo, and Anita Stern (2004), researchers found it difficult to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of online peer support groups. In the online support group, people should have the desire to support and help each other, and many times the participants go to the site to get help themselves or confined to specific subgroups.
An additional benefit to an online support group is that participation is out of sync. This means that it is not necessary for all participants to enter the forum simultaneously to communicate. An experience or question can be posted and others can answer questions or comment on posts every time they log in and have the right response. These characteristics allow for participation and mass communication without having to worry about time constraints. In addition, there is a 24-hour chat room and room for focused conversations at all times of the day or night. This allows users to get the support they need whenever they need it, while remaining comfortable and, if they so wish, anonymously.
Mental health
Although there is relatively little research on the effectiveness of online support groups in mental health, there is some evidence that online support groups can be useful. Large randomized controlled trials have found a positive effect and failed to find a positive effect.
See also
References
External links
- Support group in Curlie (based on DMOZ)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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