IS THE WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN A CANCER REHABILITATION PROGRAM AN INDICATOR OF THF NEED - COMPARISONS OF PARTICIPANTS AND NON-PARTICIPANTS IN A RANDOMIZED STUDY

In parallel with a randomized study of the 'starting again' rehabilita tion program for cancer patients, a group of 73 non-participants were monitored (another 20 patients declined monitoring). In comparison wit h participants (intervention + control), gender, diagnosis, and 10 out of 18 dependent measures differed significantly at baseline. The non- participants group included more men, mostly with cancer of the prosta te and irrespective of gender, they showed lower problem levels than p articipants throughout. Thus, the wish to participate seems to be an i ndicator of the need for assistance in the rehabilitation process. Soc ial validation of effects was performed by comparing the non-participa nts with the intervention group. The rationale for this comparison is that non-participants presumably felt so well that they were in no nee d of rehabilitation. Effects on three variables were socially validate d: patients' appraisal of having received sufficient information, phys ical strength and fighting spirit. No negative effects on outcome vari ables resulting from being randomized to the control condition (resent ful demoralization) were detected when non-participants were compared with controls over one year. Further analysis showed that although a f ew patients in the control group may have experienced resentful demora lization, this did not significantly affect the outcome variables. ((C ) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.).