Group interventions with cancer patients: Efficacy of psychoeducational versus supportive groups

Cancer support groups have become increasingly available to patients over t he last two decades. Although the various patient groups differ in their ph ilosophy, membership, and aims, the majority can be categorized as predomin antly "supportive" or "psychoeducational" in their approach. To date, there is little evidence regarding the relative benefits of the two types of gro up in improving patients' psychological outcomes. This article presents a c ritical review of the evidence for the relative efficacy of the two approac hes. A search of the literature using CD-ROM databases identified 15 studie s of acceptable design that quantitatively evaluated psychological outcomes of one or both types of group intervention. Although some findings have be en inconsistent, the majority of evidence suggests that patients who attend psychoeducational groups experience greater benefits than do those who att end purely supportive groups. Further well-designed research in this area i s needed to identify specific patient cohorts that are most likely to benef it from each approach.