Social support in the context of self-help groups of people with mental health problems

The results of the study of psychological peculiarities of social support between people with mental health problems in self-help groups with different localization are presented in the article. One of it makes its activity in the psychiatric hospital, the other one – in the community. It is also discussed one of the study tasks development of recommendations for social workers, how to begin and accompany the self-help group of people with mental health problems. It is shown that there are differences in the indicators of functional, structural and evaluative measure of social support in two self-help groups of persons with mental health problems, one of it works in a hospital, the other – in the community. It is suggested that social support within the self-help groups of people with mental health problems is implemented by integrating all components of support according to the needs of the participants due to the integrated role of psychological support as a means of activating the practice of coping strategies for the further integration of the person with mental health problems into community. The methodical recommendations, which were developed by the course of the study, for the accompaniment of self-help groups of people with mental health problems by social worker in the community, as a source of social and psychological support and as an additional resource to the network of professional and family support, are suggested. Three functional areas of the accompaniment of self-help groups by a specialist are discussed: organizational, diagnostic, and empowerment participants and self-directed group.