ArticleThe International journal of social psychiatry2022
A comparison of formal and informal help in the context of mental health recovery.
Article in The International journal of social psychiatry, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Barriers and facilitators to seeking and accessing mental health support in primary care and the community among female migrants in Europe: a "feminisms" systematic review.International journal for equity in health · 2023Pooled it
- Shared Experience Versus Professional Expertise: Preferences for Features of Informal and Formal Mental Health Support Among College Students.The journal of behavioral health services & research · 2026Article
- The Transition to Mental Health Services From the Perspectives of Neurodivergent Young People, Caregivers and Mental Health Professionals: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Approach.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2026Article
- Internalized Stigma and Help-Seeking Across Problems and Targets.The journal of behavioral health services & research · 2026Article
- 'I Battle With This Gambling Addiction Every Day'. Learning From Lived Experiences of Recovery to Guide Gambling Harm Prevention Strategies.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026Article
- A mixed methods snapshot of the Man Walk program: a community-based response to loneliness and health among older Australian men.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Barriers and facilitators of mental health help-seeking behaviours among school-going adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa: A qualitative evidence synthesis.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2026Review
- Availability, predictors, and outcomes of actual support for military spouses during deployment and reunion: Findings from the Millennium Cohort Family Study.Military psychology : the official journal of the Division of Military Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2026Article
- Informal carers' experiences of mental health services regarding supporting those they care for and getting support for their own wellbeing: A systematic umbrella review of qualitative evidence.PLOS mental health · 2026Article
- Characterizing Silence: Adolescents' Nondisclosure of Their Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors to Their Family and Peers.JAACAP open · 2025Article
- Article
- The uneven triad: a qualitative study of perspectives of relatives, patients, and professionals on (not) involving relatives in mental health.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- Mental health literacy and help-seeking: the mediating role of self-stigma and emotional intelligence.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Supporting Women after Obstetric Fistula Surgery to Enhance Their Social Participation and Inclusion.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Informal Helping and Subsequent Health and Well-Being in Older U.S. Adults.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2024Article
- How do professionals and non-professionals respond to non-suicidal self-injury? Lived experiences of psychiatric outpatients in Singapore.BMC psychology · 2024Article
- Use of unstructured intervention in a community-based mental health setting for the recovery of people with depression in Hong Kong: A qualitative assessment.Health & social care in the community · 2022Article
- Men's anxiety, why it matters, and what is needed to limit its risk for male suicide.Discover psychology · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPeople in recovery from anxiety, depressive or bipolar disorders can receive both formal (from practitioners) and informal help (from family and friends). These two types of helping relationships have often been studied separately as either therapeutic relationships or social support. Yet, the mechanisms of these two forms of help have not been empirically compared in the context of mental health recovery.
aimsThe purpose of this study is to compare the mechanisms of informal help and formal help in recovery by combining the perspectives of individuals in recovery, their informal helper and their practitioner.
methodIndividual interviews were conducted with 15 triads (
resultsThe informal and formal helping relationships serve multiple functions some can be found in both, often in different ways (communication, presence and availability). Informal helpers tend to serve a broader array of functions than practitioners do. Regarding differences, formal help is characterised by scheduling, time limitations and professional competencies. Informal help is characterised by emotional closeness, companionship and reciprocity. Also, people in recovery are active when it comes to determining the role that their helpers play (agency).
conclusionsSocial support from family members and friends, as well as help from professionals can contribute to recovery in different ways. Attesting to the agency of people in recovery, the two forms of help are not only perceived as complementary, they are deliberately kept so.
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