International Student Support Groups: Learning from Experienced Group Members and Leaders

Purpose It is known that people who stutter (PWS) benefit from self-help experiences, such as attending support groups or conferences. However, limited research has been done to explore the listening of stuttering-related podcasts as a form of self-help for PWS. This study seeks to understand the reasons why PWS listen to stuttering-related podcasts and provide descriptions of their listening experiences. Method Thirty-three PWS who have listened to stuttering-related podcasts were recruited to participate in an online survey that included multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Responses were analyzed and grouped into descriptive themes. Results Participants reported listening to stuttering-related podcasts as a way to gain information and perspective. They also reported experiences that fit themes of empowerment and camaraderie, as a result of listening. Conclusions Stuttering-related podcasts seem to be a positive self-help tool for PWS. Stuttering support group leaders and/or speech-language pathologists may consider introducing their group members or clients who stutter to this type of audio-based self-help experience.

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So, you want to lead an international student support group? Advice from group leaders

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e545662013-220 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Alex Johnson ◽

Jacob Ludlow ◽

Lisa Takara ◽

Zhen Li ◽

Melissa Tingey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Support Group ◽

International Student ◽

Student Support ◽

Group Leaders

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Facebook support groups for pediatric rare diseases: opportunities, limitations and privacy concerns (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.31411 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sarah Catrin Titgemeyer ◽

Christian Patrick Schaaf

Keyword(s):

Rare Disease ◽

Support Groups ◽

Support Group ◽

Rare Diseases ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Online Survey ◽

Privacy Rights ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Privacy Concerns ◽

Group Members

BACKGROUND Due to the nature of rare diseases with affected individuals being widely geographically dispersed, finding an in-person/offline support group itself can be a challenge. Affected individuals therefore turn to social networking platforms such as Facebook for online support groups. OBJECTIVE We aim to put into perspective the opportunities Facebook offers as a tool for pediatric rare disease support groups by investigating its use, advantages and limitations including privacy concerns. We analyze group accessibility and usage, advantages specific to rare diseases, perceived privacy and views on using Facebook for communication between health professionals and parents, pharmaceutical companies and for study recruitment. METHODS We contacted twelve Facebook support groups for twelve respective rare diseases with pediatric onset and invited group members to participate in a cross-sectional online survey. RESULTS Of 231 respondents, 87.0% (n=201) respondents were female, 12.6% (n=29) were male and 1 respondent reported another sex (0.4%, n=1). Respondents’ mean age was 41.56 years (SEM=0.621, SD=9.375). 91.3% (n=211) respondents were parents (183 mothers, 27 fathers, 1 other sex). 59.7% (n=138) reported a self-initiated search for the Facebook group, 24.2% (n=56) received recommendations from their health professionals, 12.6% (n=29) recommendations from someone else affected by the disease. On average, support group members visited Facebook at least once a day, visited and passively participated (read/liked posts) several times a week and participated actively (commented/posted) once a month. 79,6% agreed that they would like to have health professionals as members of the respective Facebook group. Group members expressed more concern about privacy issues on Facebook in general than in their respective Facebook support groups, with concerns mostly related to Facebook itself and non-group-members. CONCLUSIONS Our study confirmed that Facebook enhances support group accessibility for parents of children with rare diseases. Group participants perceive a reduction and elimination of distance, a common challenge in rare disease, and Facebook support groups create an environment of perceived privacy. The group’s privacy setting can be a critical factor for active support group participation. Sharing personal information and pictures on Facebook is very common among group participants, which shows the importance of discussing and protecting children’s privacy rights in this context. CLINICALTRIAL DRKS00016067

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The Common Bond

10.3828/liverpool/9781781381236.003.0003 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 19-29

Author(s):

Anne Eyre ◽

Pam Dix

Keyword(s):

Support Groups ◽

Legal Status ◽

Common Bond ◽

Action Group ◽

Self Help ◽

Group Members ◽

The Common ◽

Set Up ◽

The Uk

This chapter discusses how those affected by a disaster often form an extraordinary common bond. Self-help support and action group members say that only with others from 'their' disaster can they open up completely, without fear of judgement, about the most difficult aspects of their experience. The examples in this chapter illustrate the kinds of support groups that grew out of those disasters of the 1980s, including the King's Cross Families Action Group, the Herald Families Association, the UK Families Flight 103, the Marchioness Action Group, the Stairway to Heaven Memorial Trust, and the MV Derbyshire Families Association. There are a number of different options for the structure of family and survivor groups in terms of membership, legal status, and management. Some groups have set up unincorporated associations, while a few have chosen to apply for charitable status. Ultimately, representatives from the groups of the 1980s, as well as individual survivors and bereaved people, went on to form, join, and develop Disaster Action.

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“We See the World Different Now”: Remapping Assumptions About International Student Adaptation

Journal of Studies in International Education ◽

10.1177/1028315319861366 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 102831531986136

Author(s):

Tiago Bittencourt ◽

Christopher Johnstone ◽

Millicent Adjei ◽

Laura Seithers

Keyword(s):

International Students ◽

International Student ◽

Student Mobility ◽

Academic Culture ◽

The United States ◽

Cultural Norms ◽

University Campus ◽

Cultural Negotiation ◽

Personal Transformations ◽

Group Members

Student mobility has become a key feature in the drive toward internationalization of higher education in the United States. International students contribute to the academic culture of universities, yet, often face isolation, discrimination, and experience difficulties transitioning to new environments. As a result, conational networks have formed to provide support to international students in foreign institutions. This article examines the different ways membership in a conational support group mediated international students’ experiences in a university campus. Contrary to theories that suggest insularity such as fortressing and cultural enclaves, our findings suggest that conational groups are sites of creative potential where group members are consistently forging complex assemblages between norms that are familiar and experiences that are new. Although significant personal transformations ensue as a result of these assemblages, they are occurring in a setting and a pace that is determined by group members and perceived to be safe. We argue that conational groups should not be conceived as static spaces that reproduce cultural norms, but rather as sites of contestation and cultural negotiation. Based on these findings, we question whether “integration” should be a guiding institutional logic for international student engagement, suggesting instead an approach based on the concept of “inclusion.”

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International student support in European higher education

International Review of Education ◽

10.1007/s11159-012-9280-x ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 58 (2) ◽

pp. 297-300 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Madalina Akli

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

International Student ◽

Student Support ◽

European Higher Education

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What works for peer support groups: learning from mental health and wellbeing groups in Bath and North East Somerset

Mental Health and Social Inclusion ◽

10.1108/mhsi-11-2016-0032 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 25-33 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jon Fieldhouse ◽

Vanessa Parmenter ◽

Ralph Lillywhite ◽

Philippa Forsey

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Support Groups ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Participatory Action ◽

Content Type ◽

Action Inquiry ◽

North East ◽

Shared Identity ◽

Group Members

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore what worked well in terms of peer involvement in a diverse network of community groups for people affected by mental health problems in Bath and North East Somerset (BANES), UK. Design/methodology/approach A participatory action inquiry approach engaged the network’s key stakeholders (group members, facilitators, and commissioners) in critical reflection on what supported successful groups. Findings Successful groups have six characteristics: mutual support, a positive shared identity, opportunities for taking on roles, negotiated ground rules, skilled facilitation, and a conducive physical environment. Additionally, each group achieved a balance between the following areas of tension: needing ground rules but wanting to avoid bureaucracy, needing internal structure whilst also committing to group activities, balancing leadership with accountability, wanting peer leadership whilst acknowledging the burden of this responsibility, and lobbying for change in mental health services whilst acknowledging the need for support from them. Research limitations/implications The evaluation shows a group’s success is about adaptability and group facilitation is the art of navigating a course through these competing demands above. These insights have informed plans for a practical guide for developing peer led groups and for training of peer leaders in BANES. Originality/value This evaluation focuses on self-efficacy. It draws on group members’ own perceptions of what worked best for them to provide transferable learning about how peer led support groups might develop more generally. It can thus inform the growth of a comparatively new kind of community-based support for people with mental health problems and for their carers.

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Impact of Covid-19 on International Student Support

Journal of International Students ◽

10.32674/jis.v12i2.3625 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Lisa Bardill Moscaritolo ◽

Brett Perozzi ◽

Birgit Schreiber ◽

Thierry Luescher

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

International Students ◽

Student Affairs ◽

International Student ◽

Student Support ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Exploratory Survey ◽

Return Home ◽

Primary Groups ◽

The Impact

The Covid-19 pandemic caused unique challenges to international students. Student Affairs and Services (SAS) across the higher education sector played a key role in supporting students and institutions during the pandemic. This article reports the findings of an exploratory survey with SAS practitioners from around the globe on the ways in which SAS responded to the pandemic and sought to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on students in general and international students specifically. The results demonstrate that international students were among the primary groups of students impacted by the pandemic. Specific challenges identified include mental wellbeing, inability to return home, financial hardships, fear, and uncertainty. Discrimination of certain groups was also noted. SAS intervened to assist international students in navigating these challenges across world regions, including services declared essential for international student support. Finally, financial implications and the future of international student support are explored.

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