Support Groups for Individuals with Cancer Should Include More Medical Information, Study Finds

Cancer patients prefer receiving information more than emotional aid from support groups, found a study to be released in the September-October issue of the medical journal Psychosomatics. However, the findings, released in a Newswise press release, indicate that once people begin to participate in the support groups their preferences shift from seeking medical information to valuing the sense of community and emotional support found with others in similar situations.

According to a statement by Allen Sherman, Ph.D. in the press release, "There's a good deal of research about what kinds of groups are helpful for cancer patients, but less information about what they themselves are looking for." Sherman was the lead author of the study, which analyzed the study with 425 participating patients who were diagnosed with a variety of cancers.

Study Findings

Doctors frequently advise individuals diagnosed with cancer to join support groups, however, only a minority actually do. Sixty five percent of those surveyed indicated they would be interested in attending a support group, but that many do not vote with their feet and actually attend. This finding supports the informal working hypothesis of study researchers and informed many of the questions.

The study's initial finding was that participants prioritized medical information over emotional support at a nearly two to one margin, 38 percent versus 20 percent, respectively. Additionally 30 percent of participants wanted to focus on wellness and health promotion.

In keeping with the busy lifestyles of the majority of individuals, participants vastly preferred "drop in" groups they could attend as needed and when convenient to those with set attendance. Nearly half did not mind if the groups were comprised of people with varying types of cancer.

Study Relevance

Research has indicated that attending support groups does not necessarily increase survival time, but do improve the coping skills and mental outlook of participants. As such, indications of what will best help participants do so has relevance for group facilitators.

The study finds that patient-driven support groups will likely be more useful. This means allowing the support group to evolve over time with the changing needs of its participants.

"Brief groups that focus on medical information and health improvement might be a useful gateway to later groups that address coping resources, existential concerns, and emotional support," Sherman said in the press release. Unfortunately, budget restrictions frequently limit the format of support groups, and this finding creates a need for further flexibility and creativity on the part of medical practitioners.

Like anything else, who attends the group dictates dynamics and patient needs and wants likely will change over time. With facilitator recognition of this fact, support groups can evolve from venues for medical information provision to more information emotional support networks. Since the study findings indicate that what patients want frequently varies from what doctors think patients want, the study has implications for shifting the parameters of support groups for cancer patients.

Source:

Newswise