Ask an Advisor Answers

Question: I created peer support groups for a population of people that do not fit in the current options of medical vs mental health. There are limited studies of this population (donor-conceived individuals) so I am having trouble finding ways to ground my programs to evidence based practices, although I have plenty of anecdotal evidence for the need of these groups to reduce stigma and provide support. Do I need to survey my existing groups do get data and a baseline? How do I find research institutions willing to partner with me?

Answer:

Hello Ms. Lindsey,

That is so exciting that you are interested in grounding your peer support groups in research for a population that has not gotten much research attention! I highly recommend that you reach out to the researchers who have published the few studies you can find* on this population (or similar popations) and/or stigma reduction generally; they will likely be able to point you towards more resources, and may be willing to partner with you to conduct research on the population you work with or evaluation of your own programs.

*GoogleScholar is a great starting place, if you were not already using it! If a lot of research papers are hidden behind paywalls, then I highly recommend reaching out to your local universities to ask whether you could use their library resources (e.g., academic journal access) to find papers. You could also simply make targeted Google searches for researchers such as professors and ask them directly for copies of their papers.

Best wishes,

-Mr. Ari Fodeman

Question Date: Sat, 03/13/2021