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Partners and Fellow Patients: Two Sources of Emotional Support for Women with Breast Cancer
Author(s) -
Pistrang Nancy,
Barker Chris
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1023/a:1022163205450
Subject(s) - psychology , conversation , breast cancer , health psychology , self disclosure , perspective (graphical) , empathy , volunteer , helping behavior , clinical psychology , social psychology , cancer , public health , medicine , nursing , communication , artificial intelligence , computer science , agronomy , biology
Abstract This study examined the helping process that occurred when 26 breast cancer patients (the disclosers) talked about their illness‐related concerns with their partner and, in a separate conversation, with a fellow patient (the volunteer helpers). The conversations were rated by trained observers and by the disclosers in terms of several process and outcome variables. From the observers' perspective, the volunteer helpers were more helpful, empathic, and supportive, less critical, and used more self‐disclosure than the partners. Disclosers did not differentiate between the two types of helper, and gave generally high ratings to both conversations. Strengths and weaknesses of each type of helper were identified. Findings are discussed in relation to the literature on formal and informal helping, and implications for training nonprofessional helpers are suggested.