This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Schiff, M. Articles by Bargal, D. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Helping Characteristics of Self-Help and Support Groups

Their Contribution to Participants’ Subjective Well-Being

Hebrew University of Jerusalem

David Bargal

Hebrew University of Jerusalem

This article deals with outcomes of self-help and support groups, based on the relationships between the groups’ helping characteristics (i.e., instilling hope, caring and concern) and two variables: participants’subjective well-being and general satisfaction with the group. It was hypothesized that the contribution of the helping characteristics to the participants’subjective well-being would be mediated by the extent of their overall satisfaction with the group. The study also compared 12-step self-help groups to other support groups. The research sample consisted of 117 participants belonging to 11 groups meeting in Israel. The results supported the mediation hypothesis. Comparison of the 12-step groups and the other support groups revealed that 12-step group members were far more satisfied with the group and gave higher evaluations for most of the helping characteristics. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed.

Small Group Research, Vol. 31, No. 3, 275-304 (2000)
DOI: 10.1177/104649640003100302


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?