Self-help groups can help people to deal better with difficulties and share coping strategies. This also applies to health problems. A project supported by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts promotes better cooperation between healthcare professionals and self-help groups and shows that self-help-friendly hospitals have a positive impact on patient recovery.
There are around 2700 self-help groups in Switzerland: members exchange experiences and specialist knowledge and develop practical coping strategies for everyday life. Self-help groups can address psychosocial aspects of an illness, boost confidence and self-efficacy and remove taboos from issues. Research clearly shows that community self-help strengthens health literacy, improves mental well-being and promotes social participation. However, anyone seeking self-help as a supplement to medical treatment usually has to become active themselves.
Networking self-help with the healthcare system
With the project "Health literacy thanks to self-help-friendly hospitals" (see info box), the Swiss Self-Help Foundation has set itself the goal of improving the networking of self-help with the Swiss healthcare system. Specifically, the Swiss Health Promotion Foundation aims to involve self-help groups more closely in patients’ healthcare pathways. Cooperation between healthcare institutions, self-help groups and self-help centers also promotes collaboration and exchange between different specialist areas. This strengthens self-help as a supplement to medical treatment and as aftercare.
Cooperation has great potential
Lukas Zemp, Managing Director of Self-Help Switzerland, coordinates and networks 22 regional self-help centers and other self-help-related organizations as well as administration and politics with the foundation: "Despite the growing recognition of self-help as an important complementary service in the professional healthcare system, there is still a lot of room for improvement in practice in terms of cooperation between the healthcare system and self-help groups. We are working to promote this cooperation," says Zemp. The aim is for patients to be made aware of the possibility of joining a self-help group as a supplement to the medical process, for example when they are being treated by a doctor in hospital.
Benefits for all involved
Suzanne Lischer researches health promotion and prevention at the HSLU. Together with her team, she evaluated the implementation of the project on behalf of the Swiss Health Promotion Foundation (see info box). The health promotion expert knows the advantages of self-help that is networked with the healthcare system: "This not only helps patients to recover, but also medical professionals. They can better understand the views of those affected through the exchange. The self-help groups in turn gain valuable insights into clinical processes. This makes them more professionally competent and enables them to prevent misinformation," says Suzanne Lischer. To date, around 68 hospitals from all over Switzerland have been awarded the "self-help friendly" label. "This shows that doctors and other healthcare professionals are also interested in better networking," concludes Lischer.
Cost effects difficult to measure
The extent to which self-help-friendly hospitals have a positive impact on healthcare costs cannot be assessed at this stage. "However, cooperation can lead to more efficient care by supporting patients’ recovery and providing access to their needs," says Lischer. The researcher emphasizes that self-help should never be seen as a substitute for medical services, but rather as a supplement that can have a positive impact on patients’ well-being.
About the project "Health literacy thanks to self-help-friendly hospitals"
Since 2021, Self-Help Switzerland has been working with hospitals and regional self-help centers and groups to establish regional collaborations. This strengthens self-help as a supplement to medical treatment. In self-help groups, patients acquire knowledge and receive support in coping with illnesses or psychological stress. By April 2025, 68 hospitals in 20 cantons had established such collaborations, with a target of at least 80. The knowledge gained and the cooperation structures established during the course of the project will be incorporated into the further developed model "Self-help friendliness in hospitals / healthcare institutions", which will replace the previous project structure. The Swiss Federal Quality Commission (EQK) is providing financial support for this transformation phase. "Self-help friendliness" has also been recognized by the H+ hospital association as an official quality improvement measure since 2025 in the context of the national quality contract in accordance with KVG 58a.