SUPPORT GROUPS

Running Head: SUPPORT GROUPS
Support Groups
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Abstract
The trend of using the help of support groups to deal with problems and illnesses has increased a lot in the past decade. This is due to the fact that these groups provide its members with emotional and social support that they need to deal with a problem. Studies have shown that support groups have a significant impact on the psychological well-being of its members and improve the quality of their life to some extent as well. This paper discusses the impact of different kinds of support groups on its member and the need to increase the number and quality of support groups. Different researches on support groups are used as evidence to prove the importance of support groups.
Support Groups
The importance of support groups is now being recognized by professionals all around the world as they play an important role in providing individuals with emotional help they need to survive. A support group is defined as “a group of people with common experiences and concerns who provide emotional and moral support for one another” (Merriam-Webster, 2012). Support groups play an important role in helping its members overcome their problems. Usually, a support group consists of a number of individuals with similar problems or experiences. For instance, one support group may be for patients suffering from depression or cancer while another may focus on helping the families of these patients cope with their situation. In a support group, individuals share their experiences and information and sometimes even provide solutions to the problems. However, the main idea behind a support group is not help individuals with similar problems come together and develop a feeling of belongingness so they do not feel like they are alone. A support group may be self-help or a professionally operated one. Self-help support groups are fully managed by its members who all share the same problem or illness while a professionally operated support group is managed by a professional member who does not necessarily share the common problem of the group and it only present for management and guidance (Kurtz, 1997).
According to Dr. Dolcourt, “support groups have traditionally helped fill the void between the medical system and the daily grind of the everyday world. Support groups generally function to help patients cope, but clearly [they] do more than make patients feel good” (Dolcourt, 1992). Support groups don’t only help patients feel better, but they also play an important role in educating them and mentally preparing them for the future. Studies have shown that such groups play an important role in helping patients improve their situation and sometimes even encourage them to take a proper course of action when needed. A study was conducted to study the impact on internet-based support groups on depression in 2002. A total of 103...