Self-help participation and quality of life: a study of the staff of Recovery, Inc.

This report explores mental health outcomes reported by the self-help group leaders and administrators of Recovery, Inc.: The Association of Nervous and Former Mental Patients. Following Campbell (1976), both global and domain-specific quality of life indicators are used as measures of mental health. The contributions of the leader's income, health history, and Recovery career variables are also examined and the general findings are compared to a normative population. The data indicates that Recovery participation is associated with positive mental status reports, particularly in global self-ratings. Residual areas requirng supplementary human service intervention are specified.