Introducing a Mental Care Group for Women

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Introduction and Type of Group

Mental care groups have shown effectiveness in working with personal psychological problems and with collective traumas. Group work allows the therapist to reach out to more people, provides participants with different points of view, and teaches them to take care of themselves (Jacobs et al., 2015). Young women could benefit from the self-help group elements of a support group.

Rationale

Women are more prone to high levels of anxiety and depression. Providing support for them is crucial as dissatisfaction with life and suicide have increased among women during the last decades (Stone et al., 2018). The pandemic has exacerbated these trends; currently, 4 out of 10 young women suffer from anxiety and depression (Bau et al., 2022). Group therapy can reduce feelings of loneliness and anxiety and help find effective ways to cope with difficulties.

Objectives and Outcomes

The goals of the womens self-help group are enhancing womens empowerment and adopting introspection and self-help skills. Group members can share their experiences, develop leadership skills, experience mindful conversation, act out problematic and disturbing situations, etc. (Cloud &Townsend, 2010). The results can be measured by opinion surveys and periodical testing of anxiety and depression levels (Kumar et al., 2021). The desired outcome of the group work is the reduction of anxiety and depression levels, the strengthening of leadership skills, acquiring psychological self-help skills.

Marketing and Recruitment

The group can be advertised on social media such as Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok because these platforms are the most popular among young women. The marketing strategy may include a pre-launch that will inform potential participants. Moreover, the pre-launch can include a survey form on the most interesting topics, which will help coordinate the work and prepare the first sessions in advance.

Screening and Selection of Group Members

The target group for the project is young women aged 18 to 35 who are under severe stress, anxious, or depressed. Participation in a group does not require any special skills. At the beginning, the first screening will be carried out to identify the current mood and expectations to fix actual problems.

Time and Duration

Group sessions will be held once a week and take 2 hours. Every three months, the participants condition will be monitored to understand their progress and readiness to try new roles or find problems that hinder their development.

Ground Rules

Participants will be instructed regarding the rules of group therapy, which include commitment and willingness to work, mutual respect, the confidentiality of information, and obligation fulfillment (Yalom, 2020). Rules prohibit the sharing of personal information and communication outside the group.

Process of Termination and Follow-up

The group work process will include a short lecture on a specific issue, a discussion, and sharing experiences. Once the problem is identified, the group members will apply self-help techniques to resolve it. On the follow-up, participants will share their feelings after using the methods in the session and in life.

Group Sessions

A relevant topic for a lesson could be anxiety and the fight against it. After a short presentation on the causes and manifestations of stress, participants can write down how their anxiety manifests. Then, the group leader will read out the options and find the most frequently repeated. After picking one, the leader will connect the two participants; one person will be herself and the second will be her disturbing part. The group should observe the persons struggle with negative thoughts and build a defense. Homework could be making a list of calming things that reduce anxiety.

Ethical Considerations

Group therapy raises the risk of ethical issues such as confidentiality, dual and multiple relationships, equity, and inclusion. The American Psychological Associations ethical code can be a solid authoritative basis for resolving ethical problems. The norms of the group work must be discussed with the participants in the first session. Participants must be informed of the prohibition against entering into relationships outside the group and sharing personal contacts. Member names may be changed to provide additional privacy. Participants must give informed consent to comply with the rules and be aware of the responsibilities for their violation.

References

Bau, N., Khanna, G., Low, C., Shah, M., Sharmin, S., & Voena, A. (2022). Womens well-being during a pandemic and its containment. Journal of Development Economics, 156, 102839. Web.

Cloud, H., & Townsend, L. (2010). Making small groups work: what every small group leader needs to know. Zondervan.

Jacobs, E. E., Schimmel C. J., Masson R. L., & Harvill R. L. (2015). Group counseling: strategies and skills. 8th edition. Cengage Learning.

Kumar, N., Raghunathan, K., Arrieta, A., Jilani, A., & Pandey, S. (2021). The power of the collective empowers women: Evidence from self-help groups in India. World Development, 146, 105579. Web.

Stone, D. M., Simon, T. R., Fowler, K. A., Kegler, S. R., Yuan, K., Holland, K. M., Ivey-Stephenson, A. Z., & Crosby, A. E. (2018). Vital signs: Trends in state suicide rates the United States, 1999-2016 and circumstances contributing to suicide 27 states, 2015. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 67(22), 617-624. Web.

Yalom, I. D. (2020). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy. 6th edition. Basic Books.

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