Psychosocial club members' characteristics and their readiness to participate in a support group

Among persons with severe mental illness, more than half identify problems with loneliness and social isolation. This study examines the demographic characteristics of 34 psychosocial club members and their readiness to participate in a nurse-facilitated support group as a potential means of increasing affiliation. Readiness is represented by the presence of Stone's postulated deterrents to group participation by persons with severe mental illness--unmet survival needs, crises, disinterest in increasing affiliation, satisfaction with life as is, and unwillingness to share information about themselves and their problems. Relationships between these variables and willingness to join, and later to participate, in a group were examined. Despite impaired social/vocational functioning and high levels of potential deterrents, two-thirds of the participants indicated a willingness to join and one-third actually did participate when groups subsequently were offered. Level of social support was positively correlated with both willingness to join and actual participation. That those scoring low on perceived social support were less willing to join a support group suggests that nurses must actively encourage and facilitate participation.