Connecting group members through telephone and computer groups.

Telephone conference calls and computer-assisted groups are innovative means of offering health and mental health services. This article reviews the practice literature on the use of technology-based groups and presents the results of a survey of group practitioners that focused on their experiences with telephone and computer groups, their knowledge and comfort levels with these groups, and their perspectives on the benefits and problems of using technology in group practice. Benefits of using this technology included increased accessibility, convenience, and anonymity; problems were decreased cues, technological issues, and group process difficulties. Implications of using telephone and computer technology for group practice, particularly in health settings, are discussed.

Negative experiences in support groups.

Although the benefits of support groups are well documented in the literature, little attention has been given to possible negative effects. A review of the literature related to support groups, negative experiences in groups, and social support, as well as personal accounts of members and practitioners, affirm the importance of considering the negative experiences in support groups. In addition, this material provides a base for the specification of potential problematic group conditions and negative outcomes and points to issues in obtaining information from respondents about negative factors. Findings from mailed questionnaires given to practitioners leading cancer support groups indicate the nature of the negative experiences in groups that these practitioners had led or heard about. Implications of these findings for prevention and intervention are discussed.

Support groups as open systems: a model for practice and research.

Despite the increasing of use of support groups to respond to the needs of people dealing with crises, life transitions, and chronic conditions, there is no conceptual framework to guide practice and research. On the basis of a review of the literature, this article distinguishes support groups from self-help and treatment groups. It then proposes an open systems model for understanding the factors that affect support groups, for guiding interventions, and for evaluating their outcomes. Four conceptual dimensions are described: (1) environmental conditions (resources and constraints), (2) participant group characteristics (size, composition, and technology), (3) group conditions (goals, structural form, and development), and (4) outcomes (positive and negative effects for members, leaders, and organizations; group problems; and ethical and legal issues). Findings from a pilot study of support group practice based on this framework are presented and discussed.

Linking people with AIDS in rural communities: the telephone group.

People with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) living in rural areas have difficulty obtaining needed information and support. Bringing support groups into the homes of rural residents through telephone conference call technology is an innovative practice strategy to address this problem. The authors describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a model program consisting of six telephone group sessions. The goals of the psychoeducational group were to increase information and social support, reduce feelings of isolation, and enhance individual coping with living with AIDS.