SHSGs are nonprofit support groups operated by and for people who join together on the basis of a common need and experience and the desire to help one another. Professionals may provide assistance in supportive roles. The young men in the study indicated they joined their respective SHSGs in order to achieve a change in their lives they believed needed to be made in order to improve their mental health in some way. This desire for change often stemmed from having an addiction that had produced a state of desperation. The young men generally valued their experiences in SHSGs because of the support they received through group participation. Other participants offered emotional support through expressions of love, concern, and empathy based on sharing similar experiences. There was also an educational component in some of the groups. This included information on mental health issues, current treatment strategies, and community services that might enhance the SHSG support they were receiving. Most of the young men experienced recovery based on resources provided by the group. The study contacted community organizations in New South Wales (Australia) to locate groups that met around mental health issues. Various groups were contacted and visited by researchers, when appropriate, to ensure that they had the features of SHSGs. Young members of these groups were invited to participate in the study. This led to a study sample of 28 men ages 15 through 31, who were participants in nine different types of SHSGs. A semistructured interview design was used to examine the group experiences of the participants. 61 references