Researching community-based support networks: what policy makers should know
Ann Dadich
Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW
Contact Email:   a.dadichunsw.edu.au

Research suggests that Self-Help Support Groups have a valuable role in civic society. They contribute to the wellbeing of individual group participants and the communities to which they belong. These findings extend to young people who experience mental health issues. However, it is difficult to measure the value of these groups using positivist research approaches that typically attract the attention of policymakers. This is because Self-Help Support Groups are consumer-driven and involve voluntary participation. Therefore, they cannot be regulated by research agendas or prescribed like treatment - lest the group be altered. As consumer-driven groups, Self-Help Support Groups do not share common aims; nor do they operate in similar ways. The frequency of group meetings varies between groups, as does the level of involvement from professionals who do not share the experience of group participants. While social policy has an important role in the use and availability of Self-Help Support Groups, this paper argues that social policy research in this field needs to be driven by group participants. In accordance with the self-help ethos, this involves allowing group participants to identify indicators that measure the value of group participation; appropriate research methods to measure this value; and the timeframe in which benefit might be demonstrated. Only through a participatory approach will social policy have the potential to enhance wellbeing in this field.

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