Self-help in Europe 1979–1989. A critical review

The emergence of the self-help movement in Europe in the late 1970s and early 1980s was characterized by lay initiatives and patterns of new social activism. These developments occurred first among the populations of North Western Europe and peaked between 1984 and 1986. (The number of West German self-help initiatives, for example, grew by 20% during this period.) At present (summer 1990) this movement appears to have reached a plateau in its growth, with 2–3% of adult North European populations being actively involved with the self-help network. This pattern and level of involvement is comparable with that for North America (United States and Canada) over the same period. The last few years have seen new developments, with the spread of self-help initiatives into Central European regions. The similarities and differences between self-help in various parts of Europe — from its cultural and structural aspects to the characteristics of the individuals who actually form the self-help movement — have been subject to considerable review.