Mental health professionals' support of self-help groups

Objective. Self-help groups and other consumer-led services are viewed as v aluable additions to mental health services. This study describes professio nal support for self-help groups and examines the hypothesis that professio nal support of self-help is influenced by the degree to which professionall y-led groups are viewed as more helpful than self-help groups. Method. Surv ey data were obtained from a representative sample of over 900 mental healt h professionals employed in mental health agencies in a large US State. The survey assessed beliefs, behaviours, attitudes, and intentions toward prof essional and self-help groups. Results. Respondents who perceive profession ally-led groups to be significantly more helpful than self-help groups were less inclined to support self-help groups through referrals, help in organ izing groups, or financially. Conclusion. To the extent that professional s upport of the self-help movement is diminished, valuable allies in the stru ggle to expand the reach of mental health services are lost. Tt is proposed that mental health professionals should obtain additional information abou t the benefits of self-help and the constructive role that self-help groups can play in expanding the availability and continuum of beneficial mental health services. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.