Finding Help From Others
Written by Sarah Gibides
Edited by Kriti Iyer
January 5, 2023
Edited by Kriti Iyer
January 5, 2023
The structure of the American Healthcare system is undoubtedly different from other nations. With a less medication-based approach, countries at the same level of development offer programs not highly established in the United States, such as self-help groups. Stefan Nickel, a researcher at The Institute of Sociology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, investigates the effectiveness of these groups in Germany, an innovative treatment that is not as commonly utilized in America.
While most Americans are foreigners to this concept, self-help groups are becoming increasingly important to Germany’s public health system, with 3.5 million participants (Nickel et al., 2018). These groups have a therapeutic effect by allowing chronically ill patients and their family members to find advice and support from others with a similar diagnosed illness. These groups have different discussion topics, but generally have one-to-two in-person meetings monthly (Nickel et al., 2018). There are limited data available about who is likely to utilize this group service and its impacts. Nickel aims to provide details on the subject matter by surveying current, past, and non-attendees of self-help groups. It was revealed that self-help patients are generally older than those not involved, potentially because participants have been affected by their illness longer and thus are more burdened by their health condition (Nickel et al., 2018). An obstacle for self-help group activists is getting patients on board with this treatment plan earlier in their diagnoses to prevent this method from being viewed as a last resort.
The pay-off for attending a few self-help meetings is noteworthy according to Nickel’s study. Patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) gained the ability to self-monitor their condition as well as methods on how to manage their symptoms. The patients had more awareness of the care services available to them and reported that it was easier for them to get social support (Nickel et al., 2018).
Given the success of self-help groups in Germany, citizens of the United States and other countries should consider this an effective addition to treating chronic illnesses and offer this option by creating groups within their offices. It is important to remember the positive social impacts these sessions provide which medications cannot. There should be a greater push from medical institutions that offer self-help groups to suggest this to all patients, especially those with a recent diagnosis. Additionally, there should be further studies focusing on why certain groups, like those who have been living with an illness for a while, attend self-help groups more than others.
References
Nickel, S., Haack, M., von dem Knesebeck, O., Dierks, M.-L., Seidel, G., Werner, S., & Kofahl, C. (2018). Participation in Self-Help Groups: Impact on Self-Management and Knowledge Acquisition. Federal Health Gazette-Health Research-Health Protection, 62(1), 10–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-018-2850-8