Self-help groups in Belgium: their place in the care network

Many academics consider self-help groups as an important factor in the resu rgence of democratic life in society. The academic debate on self-help grou ps however, neglects the contextual connection of these groups. The article is based on a two-fold piece of research in Belgium on self-help groups. T he image and the position of self-help groups for breast cancer patients is examined. On the one hand, a quantitative network analysis shows the place of the group within the official medical health care network. On the other , this analysis is complemented by qualitative interviews on breast cancer patients. From these two analyses, some marked differences are detected bet ween the positive image of self-help groups in academic literature and the personal views of their target group (breast cancer patients).