Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Study Circles as a Possible Arena to Support Self-Care – A Swedish Pilot Study

Version 1 : Received: 19 February 2024 / Approved: 19 February 2024 / Online: 20 February 2024 (04:37:00 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Kerstis, B.; Herlofson, J.; Wiklund Gustin, L. Study Circles as a Possible Arena to Support Self-Care—A Swedish Pilot Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21, 483. Kerstis, B.; Herlofson, J.; Wiklund Gustin, L. Study Circles as a Possible Arena to Support Self-Care—A Swedish Pilot Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21, 483.

Abstract

Today, issues related to people’s mental health and well-being have been described as a challenge for society, globally as well as in Sweden. This calls for new approaches to mental health promotion. The aim was to evaluate the adequacy of the content and structure, describing experiences of study circles as a means of supporting participants' self-care and self-compassion. The overall design is a descriptive, QUAL+quan design, where quantitative and qualitative results are integrated. Five participants participated in a focus group interview, of whom four completed questionnaires. One individual interview was conducted with the study circle leader. Study circles can be an arena for mental health promotion as learning and sharing of experience contributes to a sense of coherence, as well as self-compassion and a genuine concern for one’s own and others' wellbeing, but not considered an alternative to psychiatric care, for those in need of professional services. Study circles can be a possible means to support self-care and thereby promote mental health in the general population, and a valuable contribution to public health. However, in addition to modifications of the content, further research is needed on the qualifications for study circle leaders as well as the dissemination of study circles.

Keywords

mental health; mixed methods; self-care; self-compassion; study circles

Subject

Public Health and Healthcare, Nursing

Comments (0)

We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.

Leave a public comment
Send a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Views 0
Downloads 0
Comments 0


×
Alerts
Notify me about updates to this article or when a peer-reviewed version is published.
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here.