To befriend or to be a friend: a systematic review of the meaning and practice of "befriending" in mental health care

Journal of Mental Health
Rose ThompsonStefan Priebe

Abstract

"Befriending" involves pairing a volunteer with a person with a mental illness in the community to spend social time together. The term can have very different connotations. To review how "befriending" was used in mental health care. A systematic review with a narrative synthesis was used to explore how befriending is conceptualised and practiced. We extracted descriptions of "befriending" from efficacy studies, befriending manuals, and reports from the gray literature and explored the practical implications of the different concepts of "befriending". The lay understanding of the phrase "to befriend" is "to be a friend to". This contrasts to codes of practice used by befriending organisations, which describes a relationship distinct from friendship. The literature (12 relevant papers total) suggests a spectrum of practices; at one end is a relationship that is professional or therapeutic in nature, while at the other end, the relationship is conceptualised as much closer to a naturally occurring friendship. The different concepts determine distinct practices, which may lead to confusion when the term befriending is used. The term "befriending", may be understood to concern friendship, which may be inappropriate where the organi...Continue Reading

References

Dec 1, 1970·Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology·E H Fischer
Aug 17, 1999·The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science·T HarrisR Robinson
May 6, 2003·The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British Volume·S MolloyS P Bendall
Jun 23, 2006·Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health·Jennie Popay
Jun 26, 2009·The International Journal of Social Psychiatry·Brian H McCorkleCheryl Gagne
Jan 28, 2010·Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry·Cara RedmondChris Harrop
Feb 2, 2010·The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science·Nicola MeadPeter Bower
Oct 11, 2011·Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology·Ellen Wan-Yuk HarleyTom Craig
Jun 1, 2011·Psychology and Psychotherapy·Gemma Mitchell, Nancy Pistrang
Nov 28, 2012·PloS One·Domenico GiaccoStefan Priebe
Dec 15, 2012·BMC Psychiatry·Claudia HallettStefan Priebe

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jan 24, 2017·The International Journal of Social Psychiatry·Ulla VæggemoseLisbeth Ørtenblad
Mar 15, 2018·The International Journal of Social Psychiatry·Ann SheridanMary Kemple
May 19, 2018·The International Journal of Social Psychiatry·Sarah TonerGϋnter Klug
Dec 9, 2016·The International Journal of Social Psychiatry·Lotte Groth JensenUlla Væggemose
Mar 5, 2019·The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science·Stefan PriebeNancy Pistrang
Apr 14, 2018·Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology·Gϋnter KlugStefan Priebe
Dec 10, 2017·Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders·Mateusz Płatos, Kinga Wojaczek

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science
Mary LeamyMike Slade
Journal of Individual Psychology
W O Statton
Psychiatric Services : a Journal of the American Psychiatric Association
Nicholas E Stratas, Clarence L Boyd
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved