Self-help Members Research Articles

Narcotics Anonymous participation and changes in substance use and social support

In Victoria (a southern Australian state) in 1995, Narcotics Anonymous had a small but growing membership providing an opportunity to study the early experience of new self-help members. Ninety-one new members were interviewed and 62 (68%) were reinterviewed after 12 months. Three measures of self-help participation were examined: service role involvement, step work, and stable meeting attendance. Lower prior involvement in treatment services and greater participation in self-help predicted subsequent self-help participation. Higher levels of secondary school education predicted service role involvement and longer periods in stable meeting attendance. Higher self-help participation through the 12 months prior to follow-up was associated with lower levels of hazardous alcohol use and higher emotional support at reinterview. Multivariate regression analysis suggested stable self-help meeting attendance and step work continued to predict reductions in hazardous alcohol use and improvements in social support, after controlling for a range of alternative predictors.

Measuring member satisfaction with a self-help association

An evaluation of the Manic Depressive and Depressive Association of Chicago utilized an adapted version of the CSQ-8, Client Satisfaction Questionnaire, as part of a mail survey. Comparison of mean ratings by the self-help members were lower than norms for mental health clients on whom the CSQ-8 was first applied. Interitem correlations of item means on the adapted version indicated similar psychometric properties as the original CSQ-8 and correlations of satisfaction ratings and demographic variables indicated that demographics have little influence on ratings. Respondents with longer-term membership, more intense involvement and perceptions of positive outcome revealed higher levels of satisfaction.

The media and self-help: a preventive community intervention

This paper describes a preventive, media-based intervention implemented during a 9-month period in a major metropolitan area. The intervention consisted of placing actual self-help groups on a 50,000 watt radio station. During these weekly programs, the process of self-help was stressed; that is, people with similar problems offering one another support, encouragement, and solutions based on experience, not just theoretical knowledge. During the second part of the program, members of the audience were invited to call in and share their concerns with the self-help members. When community oriented psychologists collaborate with the media and self-help groups, there are unique organizational, interpersonal, and political issues that need to be carefully considered. These are discussed.