Assessing the Efficacy of a Self-Help Support Group Program for Older Women

Social systems of support are considered crucial in providing a buffer against the negative consequences of aging. Given the significance, in particular, of natural helping networks for bolstering the personal lives of older persons, this paper reports on a study which assesses the efficacy and identifies the most likely beneficiaries of a formal self-help delivery model charged with reconstructing an older woman's social support system. Original data were collected from 225 older women (mean age = 76.1 years) participating in a large network of single gender, self-help groups in the Philadelphia metropolitan region. The average group was comprised of 13.5 members, met on a weekly basis, and had been operational 4.4 years. Multiple regression analysis identifies those variables serving as significant predictors of these women's comfort in sharing, group involvement, and social, intellectual, and emotional gain. Results lead to recommendations for promoting effective self-help programming for older women.