Supporting the central role of people with addiction problems in addressing their problems: the example of Self-Help Promotion Program in Greece

Friday, 25 November, 2022 - 09:00 to 14:50

Abstract

Self-help/mutual aid groups (SH/MAGs) have long been an important alternative to the professional treatment efforts in the addiction field. Their effective support and utilization by health systems, respecting their independence and autonomous action, is an open question for the sciences in the addiction field. This presentation is based on the accumulated experience of the Self-Help Promotion Program of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece. Self-Help Promotion Program is a psychosocial intervention, that is being implemented for twenty-one years in Greece, supporting people with addiction problems. Its main focus is the promotion and support of self-help/mutual aid practices.

In this context, the presentation attempts to address a number of questions such as: - What are the appropriate methodologies to support people who are participating or interested in participating in SH/MAGs? - What are the emerging characteristics of the role of health workers interested in participating in this direction? - How do stakeholders perceive this type of interventions? - What are the limits and perspectives of these kind of interventions?

The presentation is based on a longitudinal participatory action research. The research was designed in two phases. The first phase concerned the creation and development of a professional psychosocial intervention to support members of SH/MAGs. The second phase concerned the evaluation of the intervention by the stakeholders, members of SH/MAGs. The structure and development of the research were based on principles of participatory action research, which were combined with grounded theory methodology to analyze the collected data. Through the findings of the research, a specific framework for structuring psychosocial interventions aimed at framing/supporting self-help/mutual help groups is proposed, with an emphasis on the central role of the directly involved, people with addiction problems, and the person-centered characteristics of the framework and support processes.

The emergence of support methodologies for SH/MAGs that respect their autonomous action and enhance their comparative advantages can make a decisive contribution to strengthening efforts to tackle addiction.

Speakers

Type

Part of session