224
Views
38
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Articles

Attitudes of Patients with Breast Cancer Toward Support Groups

, , &
Pages 39-54 | Received 30 May 2002, Accepted 09 Sep 2002, Published online: 17 Oct 2008
 

Abstract

This study explored the psychosocial characteristics of women with a recent diagnosis of breast cancer who were or were not interested in joining support groups. Ninety-three women using breast cancer services at a teaching hospital were interviewed about their decision to attend or not attend a support group. At an average of 7.4 months after the diagnosis, 21.5% of the women had attended a support group, whereas 59.1% reported they would not attend. Attenders were likely to be better educated, to live outside the metropolitan area, and to report poorer mental health. Exploring interviewees' reasons for their decision allowed suggestions for promoting attendance for women who may benefit from attending a support group: explain clearly at the recruitment stage what groups offer, perhaps using videos or testimonials; consider routine screening for psychological distress or perceptions of inadequate support: and accept that many women will feel no need to participate in a support group and probably should not be pressed to do so.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.