In a support group, members provide each other with various types of nonprofessional, nonmaterial help for a particular shared burdensome characteristic. The help may take the form of providing relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening to others' experiences, providing sympathetic understanding and establishing social networks. A support group may also provide ancillary support, such as serving as a public relations voice or engaging in advocacy.

Maintaining contact

---

Support groups maintain interpersonal contact among their members in a variety of ways. Most groups have traditionally met in person in group sizes that allowed conversational interaction. Support groups also maintain contact through printed newsletters, telephone chains, internet forums, and mailing lists. Some support groups are exclusively Online_support_groups.

Membership in some support groups is formally controlled, with admission requirements and membership fees. Other groups are "open" and allow anyone to drop in at an advertised meeting, for example, or to participate in an online forum.

More on [ Support group ]

NYT > Health

Patient Money: For a Frugal Dieter, Weight Loss on a Sliding Scale
By LESLEY ALDERMAN Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:42:07 -0000
A dieter’s commitment to weight loss can sometimes be linked to how much money he or she is willing to spend.
Global Update: Tuberculosis: TB Vaccine Too Dangerous for Babies With AIDS Virus, Study Says
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:40:26 -0000
A common tuberculosis vaccine is too risky to give to those born infected with the AIDS virus, says a new study published by the World Health Organization.
Swine Flu Death Toll in Argentina Climbs
By ALEXEI BARRIONUEVO Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:15:21 -0000
Argentina’s president said she would not rule out closing major public venues where swine flu could spread more quickly.

CNN.com - Health

Police: Hospital worker swiped shots, spread hep C
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:18:42 -0400
A former hospital employee may have exposed hundreds or thousands of surgical patients to hepatitis C when she replaced clean needles filled with the powerful painkiller fentanyl with her own dirty needles filled with saline solution.
Health.com picks top beach, lake getaways
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:47:40 -0400
We know your summer vacation time is precious: You want to land where you can truly relax, breathe fresh air, get in some exercise and eat well -- without breaking the bank. That's why we teamed up with a panel of travel and health experts to help us find the healthiest of the nation's most popular beach and lake towns.
Suit: Toxic plane air sickens flight attendant
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:31:03 -0400
The last time Terry Williams can remember being headache-free was in December. A chronic migraine has plagued her ever since. So have balance and vision problems, a tremor in her left arm, a prickly sensation in her feet and a loss of childhood memories.

BBC News | Health | World Edition

Self-help 'makes you feel worse'
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:06:55 -0000
Bridget Jones is not alone in turning to self-help mantras to boost her spirits, but a study warns they may have the opposite effect.
WHO warns swine flu 'unstoppable'
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:00:11 -0000
The UN's top health official tells a swine flu forum in Mexico that the spread of the virus worldwide is now unstoppable.
Solo life ups gene dementia risk
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:25:24 -0000
People who have a gene flaw and live alone in middle-age are at highest risk of developing dementia, a study suggests.

Subscribe to Support_Groups RSS feed

Gary Null Introduction