title: The effect of a psychosocial group intervention on loneliness and social support for Japanese women with primary breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effects of a psychosocial group intervention on loneliness and social support in Japanese women with breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary analysis of a randomized, controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  A breast cancer outpatient area of a National Cancer Center hospital in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  50 women who were less than 65 years old, were diagnosed with primary breast cancer, and had undergone surgery within 4-18 months of the start of the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected as part of a trial of an intervention. The investigators conducted a six-week group intervention consisting of health education, coping skills training, stress management, and psychological support. Subjects completed the revised University of California, Los Angeles, Loneliness Scale and a social support questionnaire at baseline, six weeks, and six months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Loneliness, number of confidants, satisfaction with confidants, and satisfaction with mutual aid.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty (33%) of the 151 invited patients participated and were randomized to either experimental (n = 25) or control (n = 25) groups, and 23 (92%) in each group completed the study. The experimental group had significantly lower scores than the control group for loneliness and significantly higher scores for the number of confidants, satisfaction with confidants, and satisfaction with mutual aid over the six-month study period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This intervention is beneficial for Japanese patients with breast cancer experiencing loneliness and inadequate social support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The program can be used as an effective support for Japanese patients with cancer to manage their psychosocial concerns associated with illness.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Tokyo Metropolitan University of Health Sciences, Japan.
authors.forename: Skiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ooba
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchitomi
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research / Q000379:methods; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012657:Self-Help Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000451:nursing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health