'Self-help': Perceptions of Israeli students in the helping professions

This study explores the meanings associated with the term 'self-help' among Israeli students in the helping professions. It compares these associated meanings across various groups created by several demographic variables. In particular it examines differences between participants who have had some type of involvement in self-help groups versus those who have had no such involvement with respect to the assigned meanings. The study used a convenient sample of 189 participants from various fields of the helping professions. Data were collected during class visits. Students were asked to fill out a short, mostly open-ended questionnaire. Based on content analysis, several themes surfaced as the most prevalent meanings associated with the concept 'self-help' among Israeli students in the helping professions. These findings are compared with recent findings obtained from using the same instrument with a representative sample of the general Israeli population, and with individuals involved in self-help groups. The significance of the findings is discussed within the framework of Israeli culture, both regarding the universal and particular attributes of the self-help phenomenon, as well as the developmental stages of self-help organizations in Israel.