Perceived costs and benefits of membership in a self-help group: comparisons of members and nonmembers of the Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

We assess the utility of looking at the costs/barriers and benefits/incentives of belonging to an Alliance for the Mentally Ill (AMI) self-help group. Support for bimotivational factors of costs and benefits was found. Comparisons were made between members vs. nonmembers and between more active vs. less active members. Implications for theory and application are discussed.