PROFESSIONALLY-LED SUPPORT GROUPS FOR CANCER-PATIENTS - AN INTERVENTION IN SEARCH OF A MODEL

Objective: The objective of this review was to evaluate the clinical a nd research literature on professionally-led support groups for cancer patients and to propose an approach that would address patients; need s from diagnosis through survivorship. Method. Computerized and manual searches, including Medline and Psychlit searches, were completed for reviews of the literature. Twelve research studies were identified th at met our criteria for in-depth review. A clinical model emerged from discussions of an oncology study group based on theoretical formulati ons and clinical experience with oncology patients. Results: We found that recent research suggests that professionally-led support groups a re increasing in number and that participation in such groups seems to enhance patients' quality, and possibly even quantity, of survival. D espite this, little effort has been made to determine what type of gro up may be appropriate for which patients and when in their course of c are. Conclusions: If psychosocial intervention, in the form of profess ionally-led support groups for cancer patients, is to be more effectiv e, ii should be guided by a model which takes into consideration the c hanging needs and concerns of patients over the course of illness and, in many cases, recovery. The authors present an outline delineating w hat such a model might entail.