Mutual aid groups in psychiatry and substance misuse

Abstract

Background: Mutuality is a feature of many ‘self-help groups’ for people with mental health and/or substance misuse needs. These groups are diverse in terms of membership, aims, organisation and resources. Collectively, in terms of the pathways for seeking help, support, social capital or simply validation as people, mutual aid groups figure at some time in the life story of many psychiatric and/or substance misuse patients. From the viewpoint of clinical services, relations with such groups range from formal collaboration, through incidental shared care, via indifference, to incomprehension, suspicion, or even hostility. How should mental health and substance misuse clinicians relate to this informal care sector, in practice? Aims: To synthesise knowledge about three aspects of the relationship between psychiatric/substance misuse services and mutual aid groups: profile groups' engagement of people with mental health and/or substance misuse needs at all stages of vulnerability, illness or recovery; chara...