Self-help groups of families with members with mental illness: historical backgrounds in the US and implications for Korea

Abstract

The number of self-help groups has risen over the decades. Self-help groups can be an alternative choice for mutual aid and support for people such as families with a person with mental illness to be able to cope with every day life stress from dealing with mental illness and experiencing social stigma and discrimination. This study looks at the concept of self-help groups; historical backgrounds of the development of self-help groups of families with persons with mental illnesses; organizational characteristics and activities of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) of the US; the current state of family self-help groups in Korea and characteristics of the KFAMH(Korea Family Association for Mental Health Corp.), and ways of facilitating the family self-help groups in Korea. In Western countries, family self-help groups were prompted by their needs both to survive from mental illness and to improve mental health services and social environment for their loved one with mental illness. In this context of personal issues becoming socio-political issues, the family self-help groups have played as the social movement group, which activities include supporting mental health research and education, advocating their family member with mental illness, and making an alliance with mental health professionals. In contrast, family self-help groups in Korea have a short history of socializing the issue of family burden and the organizational feature is not distinctive in the society in general. This study emphasized the value of family self-help groups for the sake of well-being of the family itself and of the family member with mental illness, and suggested implications from the American experience of the family self-help groups.