Support group
A group whose members share an experience or challenge and provide one another with information, encouragement, and practical or emotional help.
Peer support: Help and understanding provided by people with shared experiences or circumstances. Support groups organize peer support through recurring contact among members.
Alcoholics Anonymous: A fellowship that supports recovery from alcohol use through peer meetings and a twelve-step program. Its widely recognized meetings illustrate a peer-led recovery group.
Self-help group: A voluntary group in which members address a shared problem through mutual support and shared practices. The term often overlaps with support group but can emphasize structured self-directed change.
Social isolation: A lack of meaningful social contact or connection with other people. Regular group contact can counter isolation by creating recurring relationships.
Mutual aid: Reciprocal help through which people contribute resources, knowledge, or care to one another. Members exchange practical and emotional help rather than relying only on professional services.
Cancer support group: A group offering people affected by cancer shared information and emotional support. It connects patients or caregivers facing related medical and social challenges.
Social support: Assistance and care received through relationships, networks, or institutions. A support group is one organized source within the broader system of social support.
Stigma: Social disapproval or devaluation attached to a characteristic, condition, or identity. Shared discussion can reduce shame, while disclosure may also expose members to judgment.
Group dynamics: The patterns of interaction, influence, and relationships within a group. Trust, participation, and conflict affect whether members feel safe sharing.
Grief support group: A group where people bereaved by death share experiences and support one another. Members can discuss loss with others who understand bereavement firsthand.