National Estimates for Mental Health Mutual Support Groups, Self-Help Organizations, and Consumer-Operated Services (original) (raw)
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Psychiatric Services, 2003
This study tested the hypothesis that users of mental health selfhelp services would be more satisfied with professional mental health services than clients who did not use self-help services. A survey was administered to 311 clients of professional mental health services, 151 (49 percent) of whom were users of self-help services. A multiple regression model showed that the use of self-help services was associated with greater satisfaction with professional mental health services. This finding provides support for the idea that the use of self-help services encourages appropriate use of professional services. The study provided evidence that self-help and traditional mental health services can function complementarily rather than in competition with one another.
American Journal of Community Psychology, 2008
This experiment compared the effectiveness of an unlocked, mental health consumer-managed, crisis residential program (CRP) to a locked, inpatient psychiatric facility (LIPF) for adults civilly committed for severe psychiatric problems. Following screening and informed consent, participants (n=393) were randomized to the CRP or the LIPF and interviewed at baseline and at 30-day, 6-month, and 1-year post admission. Outcomes were costs, level of functioning, psychiatric symptoms, selfesteem, enrichment, and service satisfaction. Treatment outcomes were compared using hierarchical linear models. Participants in the CRP experienced significantly greater improvement on interviewerrated and self-reported psychopathology than did participants in the LIPF condition; service satisfaction was dramatically higher in the CRP condition. CRP-style facilities are a viable alternative to psychiatric hospitalization for many individuals facing civil commitment. Keywords Serious mental illness; consumer-managed services; recovery; mutual help; randomized trial Consumer-managed programs have a long history in the psychiatric services field, beginning around the middle of the 20 th century with organizations such as Recovery Incorporated and Fountain House (Beard, Propst, & Malamud, 1982; Lee, 1995). In more recent decades, such programs have received increased visibility and support through the efforts of governmental (e.g., The Community Support Program of the Center for Mental Health Services) and community-based organizations (e.g., The National Empowerment Center). In the U.S. today, mental health consumers operate or play a major role in a wide range of programs including self-help groups, drop-in centers, clubhouses, independent living centers, advocacy organizations, case management services, employment agencies, supported housing, and information and referral lines (Chamberlin,
Toward the Implementation of Mental Health Consumer Provider Services
The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 2006
Encouraged by the New Freedom Commission, mental health systems such as the Veteran Administration (VA) are now becoming more recovery-oriented. Consumer providers (CPs)-those with serious mental illness who are further along in recovery who provide services to others with similar mental health problems-are viewed as a key part of this change. However, organizational change theories suggest that careful consideration of implementation issues is critical when disseminating new and sometimes controversial services into existing organizations. Therefore, to guide the dissemination of CP services, the literature on the effectiveness of CPs was reviewed, and interviews, focus groups, and a brief survey of 110 administrators, providers, and patients were conducted at three large VA clinics in Southern California. Questions focused on their perceptions of feasibility and acceptability of CP services. Using literature and study findings, an organizational change framework and other strategies to overcome potential implementation challenges of CP services are suggested.
BMC Health Services Research, 2014
Background: This study has a dual purpose: 1) identify determinants of healthcare service utilization for mental health reasons (MHR) in a Canadian (Montreal) catchment area; 2) determine the patterns of recourse to healthcare professionals in terms of frequency of visits and type of professionals consulted, and as it relates to the most prevalent mental disorders (MD) and psychological distress.
Journal of Community Psychology, 2006
To evaluate the impacts of participation in mental health Consumer/Survivor Initiatives (CSIs), we used a nonequivalent control group design to compare new, active participants in CSIs ( n = 61) with nonactive participants ( n = 57) at baseline, 9-month, and 18-month follow-up intervals. The two groups were comparable at baseline on a wide range of demographic variables, self-reported psychiatric diagnosis, service use, and outcome measures. At 9 months, there was a significant reduction in utilization of emergency room services for active participants, but not for nonactive participants. At 18 months, the active participants showed significant improvement in social support and quality of life (daily activities) and a significant reduction in days of psychiatric hospitalization, whereas the nonactive participants did not show significant changes on these outcomes. Also, active CSI participants were significantly more likely to maintain their involvement in employment (paid or volunteer) and/or education over the 18-month follow-up period when compared with those who were not active in CSIs. These results are discussed in the context of the self-help literature and their policy implications for people with mental illness. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Consumer-run services research and implications for mental health care
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 2016
Mental health consumers/survivors developed consumer-run services (CRSs) as alternatives to disempowering professionally run services that limited participant self-determination. The objective of the CRS is to promote recovery outcomes, not to cure or prevent mental illness. Recovery outcomes pave the way to a satisfying life as defined by the individual consumer despite repetitive episodes of disorder. Recovery is a way of life, which through empowerment, hope, self-efficacy, minimisation of self-stigma, and improved social integration, may offer a path to functional improvement that may lead to a better way to manage distress and minimise the impact of illness episodes. ‘Nothing about us without us’ is the defining objective of the process activity that defines self-help. It is the giving of agency to participants. Without such process there is a real question as to whether an organisation is a legitimate CRS or simply a non-governmental organisation run by a person who claims liv...
Journal of Community Psychology, 2007
The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of participation in mental health Consumer/Survivor Initiatives (CSIs), organizations run by and for people with mental illness. A nonequivalent comparison group design was used to compare three groups of participants: (a) those who were continually active in CSIs over a 36-month period (n = 25); (b) those who had been active in CSIs at 9- and 18-month follow-up periods, but who were no longer active at 36 months (n = 35); and (c) a comparison group of participants who were never active in CSIs (n = 42). Data were gathered at baseline, 9-, 18-, and 36-month follow-ups. The three groups were comparable at baseline on a wide range of demographic variables, self-reported psychiatric diagnosis, service use, and outcome measures. At 36 months, the continually active participants scored significantly higher than the other two groups of participants on community integration, quality of life (daily living activities), and instrumental role involvement, and significantly lower on symptom distress. No differences between the groups were found on other outcome measures. Improvements in 36-month outcomes for people with mental illness who participated in CSIs suggest the potential value of these peer support organizations. Further research is needed to determine the replicability of these positive findings. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 35: 655–665, 2007.