Self-help groups in Belgium: their place in the care network

Many academics consider self-help groups as an important factor in the resurgence of democratic life in society. The academic debate on self-help groups however, neglects the contextual connection of these groups. The article is based on a two-fold piece of research in Belgium on self-help groups. The image and the position of self-help groups for breast cancer patients is examined. On the one hand, a quantitative network analysis shows the place of the group within the official medical health care network. On the other, this analysis is complemented by qualitative interviews on breast cancer patients. From these two analyses, some marked differences are detected between the positive image of self-help groups in academic literature and the personal views of their target group (breast cancer patients).