The terms support group, self-help group and mutual-help group all mean the same thing: A group of people who come together seeking and offering help and support.

There is nothing more natural when you are in a time of need, than to talk to people in similar situations. Sharing common problems can lead to a collective wisdom and is seen to be a very valuable therapeutic tool. As participation in the groups costs its members little or nothing support groups have received both praise and criticism for it’s capacity to accept anyone who choose to join.

In the past it was often thought that support groups arose out of the absence of a professional as they are often set-up by users themselves. But a report published in 1994 shows that 60% of support groups are actually facilitated by professionals (Lieberman and Snowden) lending not only credibility but also a peace-of-mind to those sceptical of support groups.

The Changing Concept of Support Groups.

The concept of support groups has changed dramatically from some patronising professional views of them as “hand holding” or “huddle together groups” (Sagarin, 1969) in the 1970s to the understanding that some groups have sophisticated ideological underpinnings (such as Alcoholics Anonymous; AA), and the more recent conceptualisations of support groups as communities of beliefs (Kennedy, Humphreys, & Borkman, 1994).

The very existence of a support group is a measure of its value to its participants. If people stop coming, the group ceases to exist. In this way, participation is its own index of success (Davison, Pennebaker, & Dickerson, 2000).

A Famous Case.

The most famous study of a support groups was of 88 metastatic breast cancer patients assigned either to group psychotherapy or informational and nutritional support. Those who participated in the support condition had survival times of about twice those of controls (Spiegel, Bloom, Kraemer, & Gottheil, 1989).

How Support Groups Works

Initial set-up of a support groups usually requires two things: Training of facilitators and a space to hold meetings. With online support one of those factors is already taken care of. Because support groups arise out of a need for support, users and participants are a given.

After training facilitators*, a time is set by an administrator in which the meeting will be held. Latecomers are welcomed although people are encouraged to come on time to receive the most benefit from the session.

Once all participants are settled, the primary facilitator initiates the start of the meeting. Usually the facilitator will begin by explaining the ground –rules of the session and continue by asking if there is anything specific that anyone wished to talk about.

From there a successful session will be one where participants talk freely to one another, about one topic at a time, where the facilitator does not have to intervene of direct more than a few times.