Experiences of women with breast cancer: Exchanging social support over the CHESS computer network

Using an existential-phenomenological approach, this paper describes how wo men with breast cancer experience the giving and receiving of social suppor t in a computer-mediated context. Women viewed their experiences with the c omputer-mediated support group as an additional and unique source of suppor t in facing their illness. Anonymity within the support group fostered equa lized participation and allowed women to communicate in ways that would hav e been more difficult in a face-to-face context. The asynchronous communica tion was a frustration to some participants, but some indicated that the fo rmat allowed for more thoughtful interaction. Motivations for seeking socia l support appeared to be a dynamic process, with a consistent progression f rom a position of receiving support to that of giving support. The primary benefits women received from participation In the group were communicating with other people who shared similar problems and helping others, which all owed them to change their focus from a preoccupation with their own sicknes s to thinking of others. Consistent with past research is the finding that women in this study expressed that social support is a multidimensional phe nomenon and that their computer-mediated support group provided abundant em otional support, encouragement, and informational support. Excerpts from th e phenomenological interviews are used to review and highlight key theoreti cal concepts from the research literatures on computer-mediated communicati on, social support, and the psychosocial needs of women with breast cancer.