Stress and coping patterns of participants and non-participants in self-help groups for parents of the mentally ill

The authors examined differences in stress and coping patterns as well as in situationally-related variables between participants and non-participants in self-help groups for parents of the mentally ill in Israel. Participants, who were higher on socio-economic status indicators, reported coping patterns that tended to be both more active and interactive. They also reported greater concerns around psycho-social issues than non-participants. The authors discuss the possible interrelationships among these findings.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44305/1/10597_2004_Article_BF00752453.pd

Beyond the therapeutic: a Habermasian view of self-help groups’ place in the public sphere

Self-help groups in the United Kingdom continue to grow in number and address virtually every conceivable health condition, but they remain the subject of very little theoretical analysis. The literature to date has predominantly focused on their therapeutic effects on individual members. And yet they are widely presumed to fulfil a broader civic role and to encourage democratic citizenship. The article uses Habermas’ model of the public sphere as an analytical tool with which to reconsider the literature on self-help groups in order to increase our knowledge of their civic functions. In doing this it also aims to illustrate the continuing relevance of Habermas’ work to our understanding of issues in health and social care. We consider, within the context of current health policies and practices, the extent to which self-help groups with a range of different forms and functions operate according to the principles of communicative rationality that Habermas deemed key to democratic legitimacy. We conclude that self-help groups’ civic role is more complex than is usually presumed and that various factors including groups’ leadership, organisational structure and links with public agencies can affect their efficacy within the public sphere

The role of forgiveness in shifting from "Me" to "We"

Contains fulltext : 73437.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)The present research was designed to examine the link between forgiveness (and cognitive interdependence, the mental state characterized by pluralistic representations of the self-in-relationship (Agnew, Van Lange, Rusbult, & Langston, 1998). Consistent with hypotheses, results revealed that forgiveness was associated with greater perceived overlap between self and partner in a graphical measure of Inclusion of the Other in the Self scale (IOS; Aron, Aron, Tudor, & Nelson, 1991, Study 1), and greater use of first-person plural pronouns (i.e., we, its, our, and ours) in open-ended descriptions of their relationships (Study 2). Forgiveness accounted for cognitive interdependence, while controlling for several variables, including relational commitment and mood. Implications of the present results for relationship functioning and well-being are discussed