Vital yet problematic. Self‐help groups and professionals—a review of the literature in the last decade

摘要

AbstractThe objective of the study described here was to review the literature published in the UK in the last decade, about the relationship between self‐help groups and professionals. The strengths and limits of the literature were to be identified and issues emerging from what has been published were to be discussed. The main source was a recently published bibliography on the subject. The setting was the current interest in voluntary groups as a source of care in the community.A wide variety of professionals are identified as being interested in working with self‐help groups and their attitudes were found to be generally favourable and benefits of self‐help groups are summarized. However, there is confusion about the possibility of partnership between organizations where there is an underlying tension. Attitudes and knowledge are the key to practice, which can include action when groups begin, referral, and support. An intellectual framework which defines the place of self‐help groups is needed as well as ideas on practice.While there are many strengths to the published literature, a large number of limits are identified. More attention is needed, in particular, to the underlying tension between groups based on experiential knowledge and professionals with learned knowledge and greater clarity on definition is required. Compared to the extensive North American literature, relatively little has been published.Policies, tailored to different areas of need, require further thought, and more research and debate are needed, if a vital relationship is to be de