Mohr Wanda K
Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
Qual Health Res. 2004 Jan;14(1):61-77. doi: 10.1177/1049732303259663.
Support groups have increased rapidly in number and become a viable alternative to formal treatment in the United States. However, little is known regarding how mental health advocacy or support groups start and develop, or about challenges that can threaten their survival. In this 2 1/2-year ethnography, the author studied the culture of a developing family support program associated with a system of care. Several phases emerged, reflecting an organizational dynamic. The group dynamics and response to challenges have implications for organizers and parent organizations about the need for technical assistance necessary for survival of the group. Participant observation and immersion in the culture of such groups can provide a deeper understanding of the ideologies and values around which they organize and the kinds of tensions that members can experience during the group's cycle.
在美国，互助小组的数量迅速增加，并成为正规治疗的一种可行替代方式。然而，对于心理健康倡导或互助小组如何兴起和发展，以及可能威胁其生存的挑战，我们却知之甚少。在这项为期两年半的人种志研究中，作者对一个与照护系统相关的、正在发展的家庭互助项目的文化进行了研究。研究出现了几个阶段，反映出一种组织动态。小组动态以及对挑战的应对，对于组织者和母体组织而言，关乎小组生存所需技术援助的必要性。参与观察以及融入此类小组的文化，能够让人更深入地理解它们赖以组织起来的意识形态和价值观，以及成员在小组发展周期中可能经历的各种紧张关系。
