Rofé Y, Hoffman M, Lewin I
Psychol Med. 1985 Nov;15(4):895-6. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700005146.
Affiliation preferences among 100 Israeli out-patients with major illness were assessed in waiting room interviews. Patients preferred healthy others over being with fellow sufferers or alone, and avoided illness as a discussion topic. Secondary preference for being alone rather than with co-patients rose slightly with reported anxiety. Findings contradict the emotional comparison hypothesis that misery seeks out co-sufferers.
