Abstract
Health care professionals have embraced psychoeducational support groups (PSGs) as an effective method of enhancing the quality of life of persons with cancer. This article reports the results of a PSG trial delivered to men with prostate cancer. Shortly after their cancer treatment, men were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 12) or an intervention group (n = 12), which consisted of 6 weekly lectures and facilitated peer discussions. Relative to controls, men who participated in the intervention had greater improvements in mental health, fewer interpersonal conflicts, larger increases in perceived control over their health and functioning, and lower distress associated with cancer-related thoughts. The intervention was especially beneficial to men with inadequate social support resources: inadequate social support from spouse and family/friends was associated with poorer mental health in the control group, but not in the intervention group. This intervention can serve as a model for cost-effective, community-based interventions for men with prostate cancer.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 81-91 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Cancer Research Therapy and Control |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| State | Published - 1999 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Intervention
- Mental health
- Prostrate cancer
- Psychooncology
- Psychosocial factors
- Quality of life
- Randomized trial
- Social support
- Support groups
