"Regardless of the type of support group, participants report many of the same perceived benefits from participation:

• Fostering hope;

• Learning about the issue that brings them to the support group;

• Learning coping strategies;

• Overcoming isolation;

• Building social and support networks;

• Learning from successful role models;

• Feeling more in control over the situation;

• Overcoming stigma;

• Learning about the services available and being able to advocate more effectively."

--Worrall, Schweizer, Marks, Yuan, & Lloyd (2018)

in The Effectiveness of Support Groups: A Literature Review