What's in a name?: a discussion paper on the labels and location of self-organising community groups, with particular reference to mental health and Black groups

This article discusses the labelling and location of self-organising community groups – ‘self-help’, ‘peer support’ and ‘service user’. It notes the increasingly close relationship between these groups and statutory authorities, and how this relationship may put the benefits of the groups at risk. Historical, cultural and social factors are discussed to help explain differences and separate developments within African, Caribbean and other Black communities.