Self-help groups, health and empowerment in a voluntary context

This study focuses on how self-help groups contribute to empower people with mental health problems and disability. According to the notion that empowerment implies gaining force through one`s own efforts, investigating self-help groups in a voluntary setting becomes interesting. These groups are organized outside a clinical setting, out of reach for professional interference. Self- help relies on mutual sharing of experiences and support between peers. The empowerment or disempowerment processes in these groups are here studied and analysed in relation to Antonovsky`s theory of Salutogenesis and resistant resources. Participating in Self- Help Groups can lead to individuals developing resistance forces to manage stress or problems in everyday life and to maintain a sense of coherence. Moreover, participation in Self-Help Groups can contribute to enforce resources that can be helpful in managing struggles in life. The paper relies on a social constructivist perspective when studying phenomena such as health and empowerment for participants of Self-Help Groups. The analysis is based on case-studies using multiple sources and methods for data- collection; interviews of the participants and key-informants, focus group interviews, field notes and memos written after contact with the informants and the groups, and document analysis of public documents referring to self-help groups as a health promotion strategy. The data are organized using the NVivo program and analyzed with an inductive open coding process to reveal patterns, themes or categories and to find sensitizing concepts related to the theoretical perspective that underlies this study.