Active roles in self-help groups for parents of children with cancer.

Quantitative and qualitative data from 43 self-help groups for parents of children with cancer were examined to identify the nature and types of parents' active roles in these groups. Group interviews with 43 self-help groups and individual questionnaires from 131 parent-members indicate that parent active roles in self-help groups often emerge at three levels--interpersonal, organizational, and institutional. Such groups can provide a unique arena for meeting parents' coping needs during a crisis.