The development of novel interventions to assist the leaders of XXXX support groups.

@entity5 @entity1 @entity1741
PURPOSE: The literature on @entity5 support groups supports the provision of ongoing education and training for @entity5 support group leaders, with evidence suggesting that more skilled and experienced leaders create better outcomes for group members. To address support and training needs reported by leaders, three novel interventions were developed and pilot-tested. These included a leaders' website and discussion forum, @entity1741 and manual, and a 2-day training workshop. METHODS: The interventions were developed using a combination of literature review, expert consensus, and consumer feedback. A convenience sample of ten leaders pilot-tested the Website and discussion forum. Using a mixed-method approach, evaluation of the workshop and the @entity1741 and manual was conducted with 35 leaders. RESULTS: Overall, satisfaction with all aspects of the Website and discussion forum was high. Analysis of the quantitative data revealed extremely high satisfaction with the workshop and @entity1741 and manual. The qualitative responses of workshop @entity1 further supported the quantitative findings with enhanced knowledge, understanding, and confidence reported by leaders. CONCLUSIONS: All three interventions exhibited a high degree of user acceptance, regardless of the skill or experience of the @entity5 support group leader. The overall positive findings from the evaluation of the leader Website and discussion forum, the @entity1741 and manual, and the workshop for @entity5 support group leaders provides evidence to support more rigorous evaluation of these resources in a randomized controlled trial.
