Benefits From Joining a Support Group

1424 Words6 Pages
Title: What benefits might people gain from joining a support group and why might they find it hard to join? What helps to get over resistance? This essay will look at what a support group is, how people benefit when they become involved in a group and how they can find it difficult to join a group. It will also look at how, with help, any resistance can be overcome. A lot of research has been done over the years to define what a group is. The research observed different types of groups and it pointed towards a few main components that make up a group. They are; that members depend on each other and have their own rules and procedures. There needs to be a shared reason for the group and be small enough so people can get to know each other. These basic things are in every group whether it is a formal or informal group of Over the years in health and social care the idea of working in groups with people has changed. In the 1970s and 1980s it was popular to work with groups of people. There was the basic assumption that being a member of a group could be helpful or therapeutic, especially with a skilled leader. However in the 1990s this changed to focusing on the individual, this change was driven by the National Health Service and community care Act 1990. The debate over whether group work or working with the individual is the best option has lead to a better understanding of the need to balance independence with interdependence (Unit 6, p.60). The social policy analyst and researcher Gerald Wistow’s review suggests that individual independence is only possible if interdependence is supported and recognised (Wistow, 2002, p.54) There are different types of support groups available for people to become involved in to enable them to address their issues. Some groups require face to face meetings on a weekly or monthly basis at a local venue for example a health
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