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

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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: In Anxious Times, Medical Help for the Mind as Well as the Body
By LESLEY ALDERMAN Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:37:28 -0000
A new law requires that next year big group plans provide the same level of care for mental health as for medical ones.
Regarding Tamiflu, Doctors and Patients Face a Question of When to Act
By SHAILA DEWAN Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:06:27 -0000
There has been some confusion among doctors about whether to prescribe the antiviral drug Tamiflu for less severe cases.
Official Endorses Workplace Clinics for Vaccine Distribution
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:20:51 -0000
The official said swine flu vaccine should be distributed through many outlets, to get it to high-risk people quickly.

CNN.com - Health

Treating trauma victims may cause its own trauma
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:24:11 -0500
As they listen to tales of life's worst moments, they may absorb some of their patients' suffering. Who protects the mental health of our mental health professionals?
Study: Holocaust survivors have higher cancer risk
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:47:57 -0500
Many Jews lived through extreme hunger, mental duress and near-death experiences during the Holocaust. Now -- decades after the war -- they face another peril: a higher risk of developing cancer.
How to squash worry and grab more happiness
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:36:02 -0500
These days it can feel like the age of anxiety is winning over the pursuit of happiness. But you don't have to live on the dark side. Here's your recipe for a more joyful life.

BBC News | Health | World Edition

Tiny tech sparks cell signal find
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:10:16 -0000
Tiny metal particles have been shown to cause damage to DNA across a cellular barrier - without having to cross it
Babies 'cry in mother's tongue'
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:38:56 -0000
German researchers say babies begin to pick up the nuances of their parents' accents while still in the womb.
Experts map the body's bacteria
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:46:22 -0000
Scientists have developed an atlas of the bacteria that live in different regions of the human body.

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Gary Null Introduction