Mitchell, G.; (2007) Befriending adults with severe mental health problems: processes of helping befriending relationships. Doctoral thesis , University of London.

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Abstract

This paper reviews research studies examining befriending as an intervention for adults with mental health problems. It first considers contextual issues and psychological theories relevant to befriending. Because of the small body of published papers on befriending, the review used deliberately broad inclusion criteria which were based on: (a) the characteristics of the befriending intervention, (b) the target problem, and (c) the research design. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies fell into three types according to their methodological design: (1) group comparison designs, (2) process evaluation and user satisfaction survey studies, and (3) befriending as a control comparison. Overall, the evidence from these studies suggested that receiving befriending support has potential benefits for adults with mental health problems, for example, increased self esteem and social functioning, and remission of symptoms. However, little is known about the processes occurring within the befriending relationships that may lead to the benefits suggested by the current literature and the literature gives limited indications about for whom and under what circumstances befriending might be most beneficial. Implications for further research are discussed.

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