Predictors of Hope Among Members of Mental Health Self-Help Agencies

Hope is a key construct for successful community adjustment among those with severe mental illnesses, particularly given the strengths-based recovery model increasingly prevalent in mental health services and in social work. Consumer-run mental health self-help agencies (SHAs) are well suited to fostering hope via their supportive program environments. This study examines factors associated with hope among members of four self-help agencies via a two-stage least squares regression model (N = 310). Findings provide evidence of both individual and program-level associations with hope. These findings mirror social work ethical values of focusing on consumer strengths and self-determination, which are primary goals of SHAs. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: © 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.] John Q. Hodges is Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, University of Missouri-Columbia. Eric R. Hardiman is Assistant Professor, School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, State University of New York. Steven P. Segal, is Professor and Director, Mental Health and Social Welfare Research Group, School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley. Address correspondence to: John Q. Hodges, Assistant Professor, University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Social Work, 721 Clark Hall, Columbia, MO 65211-4470 (E-mail: [email protected]). This study was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health Grant RO1 # MH-37310 and Training Grant HH-18828. Social Work in Mental Health, Vol. 2(1) 2003 http://www.haworthpress.com/web/SWMH  2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Digital Object Identifier: 10.1300/J200v2n01_01 1 D ow nl oa de d by [ U ni ve rs ity o f C al if or ni a, B er ke le y] a t 1 2: 22 3 0 Se pt em be r 20 14