Gray R, Fitch M, Davis C, Phillips C
Toronto-Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Centre, North York, Ontario, Canada.
Psychooncology. 1997 Dec;6(4):279-89. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1611(199712)6:4<279::AID-PON280>3.0.CO;2-0.
This study reports on the experience of women in four community breast cancer self-help groups in Ontario, Canada. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 women, asking them about benefits and limitations of their group involvement, and about their perspectives on group processes and structures. Overall, participants reported their group involvement to be extremely helpful for navigating the short and long-term impact of breast cancer. Emotional support benefits included connecting with other breast cancer survivors, feeling understood and sharing experiences, providing hope, and sharing healing laughter. Informational and practical support benefits included sharing of important information and learning how to get what you want. Even where there were concerns about limitations or tensions of group experience, these occurred against a backdrop of appreciation and commitment. From the discussion of group processes and structures, a number of issues were identified as problematic. Most notable were how to deal with deaths of group members and how to balance the group's primary purpose of providing mutual support with secondary goals of dealing with group business and engaging in meaningful advocacy.
本研究报告了加拿大安大略省四个社区乳腺癌自助小组中女性的经历。对24名女性进行了半结构化访谈，询问她们参与小组活动的益处和局限，以及她们对小组流程和结构的看法。总体而言，参与者表示参与小组活动对应对乳腺癌的短期和长期影响非常有帮助。情感支持的益处包括与其他乳腺癌幸存者建立联系、感到被理解和分享经历、获得希望以及分享治愈的笑声。信息和实际支持的益处包括分享重要信息以及学习如何得到自己想要的东西。即使在对小组经历的局限或紧张关系存在担忧的情况下，这些也是在赞赏和投入的背景下出现的。从对小组流程和结构的讨论中，发现了一些存在问题的方面。最显著的是如何处理小组成员的死亡，以及如何在提供相互支持的主要目的与处理小组事务和进行有意义的宣传等次要目标之间取得平衡。
