Self-help groups and mental health/substance use agencies: the benefits of organizational exchange

Cooperation vs. affiliation: an exploratory qualitative study of alcoholics anonymous' position within the recovery ecosystem

BACKGROUND

Addressing substance use disorder (SUD) requires intricate solutions, usually involving several organizations within a complex institutional environment. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) shares the recovery ecosystem with other organizations, is ubiquitous across communities, and is notably inexpensive as an intervention; yet the exact nature of the connections between AA and other organizations in the recovery ecosystem is underexplored.

OBJECTIVE

Explore relationships AA has with other recovery ecosystem organizations and guide future research.

METHODS

Data were gathered via ethnographic participant observations, which were triangulated and contextualized via semi-structured interviews with key informants and archival documents.

RESULTS

Though AA does not formally link itself with other organizations, findings point toward strong relationships at the individual level and of an informal nature. Individual members who also have affiliation with other organizations (e.g., legal institutions, treatment services) create bridges, enabling efficient solving of complex issues.

CONCLUSIONS

Services wishing to leverage AA (or other mutual-aid) attendance will likely benefit from fostering informal relationships with individual AA members, including lowering barriers to disclosure of recovery status, and contacting local AA service elements capable of making these connections. Similarly, research to advance community-level SUD services and the knowledge-base would benefit from incorporating and partnering with people in recovery.

"Here, I am More than Just Symptoms Combined": Mental Health Services from the Perspective of Community Rehabilitation Groups

In response to the rise in mental disorders, psychosocial and community approaches have been proposed, complementing traditional clinical services. The present research aimed to understand the perception of individuals attending community-based strategies regarding mental health services as part of the approach to mental disorders in Colombia. Two workshops were conducted with 30 individuals with mental disorders (depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder), who were members of community strategies. A thematic analysis was conducted. The theme resulting from the analysis shows Community mental health within the healthcare system, which consisted of categories such as Group Amplifying Actions for Health and Groups as Complementary to Other Forms of Care. It is emphasized that the healthcare system should establish bridges with community mental health strategies and actively engage in their strengthening processes to enhance the outcomes of pharmacological interventions and even psychotherapeutic interventions. Bidirectional learning approach is proposed between community-based mental health services and clinical settings within the healthcare system. Community strategies can make an important contribution to complex processes in the health system.

Design and validation of a scale of core components of community interventions in mental health

AIMS

To develop and validate an instrument to identify the core components of community strategies for mental health, especially mutual aid groups: The Mutual Aid Scale .

METHODS

135 community strategies leaders participated in the study. The core components are active agency, coping strategies, recognition, and management of emotions, problem-solving strategies, supportive interaction, trust, self-identity construction, and strengthening of social networks. With these components a scale was designed. Content validity was carried out in addition to an exploratory factor analysis.

RESULTS

Two dimensions resulted, strengthening of agency capacity and Coping strategies, and the internal consistency of both factors was acceptable, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.722 and 0.727, respectively. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) statistic was used with a score of 0.831 and the Barlett Sphericity Test, with a significant value of 265.175.

CONCLUSION

This scale identifies the components of community interventions for mental health and can contribute to a better implementation of these strategies. It also articulates autonomous community processes with strategies developed in health services.

Measuring Development of Self-Help Organizations for Patients with Chronic Health Conditions in Hong Kong: Development and Validation of the Self-Help Organization Development Scale (SHODS)

Self-help organizations (SHOs) enable patients with chronic health conditions (PCHCs) to overcome common difficulties through the exchange of knowledge and mutual assistance, which serves as the basis for promoting the self-reliance and well-being of PCHCs. Nevertheless, practical challenges persist because little is known about what and how to evaluate for the developmental outcomes of SHOs. To address this knowledge gap, the present study seeks to develop and validate the Self-Help Organization Development Scale (SHODS). A total of 232 core members from 54 SHOs in Hong Kong participated in our study. The SHODS structure was validated by confirmatory factor analysis. This analysis derived five factors: citizen support, business support, member recovery and mutual aid, organizational health, and functional sustainability. The five-factor structure demonstrated stability across various types of SHOs, as validated by the subgroup analysis based on two criteria: duration of SHO establishment and organization affiliation. Good concurrent validity was supported by significant correlations between the SHODS factors and organizational variables, including staff supervision, staff understanding, networking, advocating, and educating the public and patients. The SHODS also showed excellent internal consistency. In conclusion, the SHODS is a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring the developmental outcomes of SHOs.

Strategies to destigmatize mental illness in South Africa: Social work perspective

Stigma is a contributing factor to non-help-seeking behavior and social isolation of mental health-care users. The study examined social workers' perspective regarding strategies that can be implemented to destigmatize mental illness in South Africa. A qualitative study method was adopted. Data were sourced through focus group discussions with social work students and telephone interviews with social workers working in hospitals. Data were analyzed using a thematic approach. Active involvement, education, and awareness campaigns, creating opportunities for improved well-being and constant support, were identified as relevant strategies. Given that stigma is multidimensional, various strategies are important if mental illness is to be destigmatized.

Service use and barriers to care among heroin users: results from a national survey

BACKGROUND

Heroin use is associated with many serious consequences.While effective treatments exist, barriers to services persist. Understanding service use and barriers to treatment can structure treatment practice and target interventions for those who are most at risk.

OBJECTIVES

To describe patterns and correlates of substance abuse service utilization and treatment barriers among a nationally representative sample of heroin users.

METHODS

Data for this study were derived from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. This study focused on lifetime heroin users (N = 150).

RESULTS

Fifty-nine percent of heroin users reported receiving at least one treatment service. The most common services used were 12-step programs, detoxification, and rehabilitation. Approximately 44% reported at least one barrier to treatment. The most common were lack of motivation and beliefs that it could be managed alone. In a multivariate logistic regression, having a heroin use disorder was associated with a greater likelihood of receiving services (OR = 6.09) and experiencing a barrier (OR = 11.11) compared to those without a disorder.

CONCLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE

High rates of service use and barriers were observed for all levels of heroin involvement. These findings underscore the importance of improving access to services for this group, even when full criteria for a drug disorder is not met. Integration of motivational approaches is also needed within the most common services used. To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe patterns and correlates of service use using a nationally representative community sample of heroin users.