Online support groups offer low-threshold backing for family and friends of patients with prostate cancer
A prostate cancer diagnosis affects not only the patients but also their family and friends. We performed a secondary analysis of a survey of users of the largest German online support group (OSG) for prostate cancer. We collected socio-demographic, psychological and disease-related data over a thre...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2019
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| In: |
European journal of cancer care
Year: 2018, Volume: 28, Issue: 2, Pages: e12982 |
| ISSN: | 1365-2354 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/ecc.12982 |
| Online Access: | Verlag, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1111/ecc.12982 Verlag, Volltext: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ecc.12982 
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| Author Notes: | Andreas Ihrig, Theresa Renner, Tanja Muck, Philipp Maatz, Angelika Borkowetz, Bastian Keck, Imad Maatouk, Manfred P. Wirth, Johannes Huber |
| Summary: | A prostate cancer diagnosis affects not only the patients but also their family and friends. We performed a secondary analysis of a survey of users of the largest German online support group (OSG) for prostate cancer. We collected socio-demographic, psychological and disease-related data over a three-month period in 2013. Among 769 participants with a complete questionnaire, 686 were patients, and 83 were family members and friends of other patients. The family and friends group comprised 33% spouses, 31% children and 36% people with other relationships to the patient (“others”). Compared to the patient group, the family and friends group showed higher scores for anxiety and depression and described a higher rate of metastatic disease in the patients with whom they had a relationship. The children of patients showed the highest psychological burden based on their scores for anxiety and depression. Only 7% of spouses and none of the children attended face-to-face support groups, compared to 70% of people in the “others” group. OSGs offer low-threshold support for family members and friends; specifically, they meet the needs of spouses and children who do not attend face-to-face support groups. To improve counselling efforts, physicians should be aware of this online resource. |
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| Item Description: | First published: 20 December 2018 Gesehen am 14.05.2019 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 1365-2354 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/ecc.12982 |