The Pave Project Report - Queen's University Belfast

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The PAVE Project Report
Support and self-help groups
Self-help groups offer a rich source of social support, information, and general
sharing of common problems and concerns. Burnell and Burnell (1986) argued that
while relatives and friends can offer temporary emotional support, mutual support
groups provide a longer-lasting resource. Osterweis’ et al. (1984) thought that mutual
support/self-help groups can offer person-to-person based identification and
reciprocity, access to a body of specialised information, an opportunity to share
coping techniques, based on realistic expectations for optimal functioning, and an
increased sense of personal worth, obtained by focusing on how similar members are
to others confronting the same situation.
In total, 17 of the groups surveyed offered self-help groups. The number of users of
this service in each victims group ranged from 6 to 700 people. The number of people
in each support group varied greatly (between 3 and 35), although they were mostly
small groups of 4 to 12 people, and the vast majority were groups for individuals in
similar circumstances (n=14). The frequency with which they met fluctuated between
twice a week and once a month, although most of them met at least once a week
(n=9). Skilled and trained workers facilitated most of the self-help groups (n=11),
either working alone (n=8) or in pairs (n=3).