Effect of Internet peer-support groups on psychosocial adjustment to cancer: a randomised study.
BACKGROUND
We conducted a randomised study to investigate whether providing a self-guided Internet support group to cancer patients affected mood disturbance and adjustment to cancer.


METHODS
Baseline and 1-, 6- and 12-month assessments were conducted from 2004 to 2006 at a national rehabilitation centre in Denmark. A total of 58 rehabilitation course weeks including 921 survivors of various cancers were randomly assigned to a control or an intervention group by cluster randomisation. The intervention was a lecture on the use of the Internet for support and information followed by participation in an Internet support group. Outcome measures included self-reported mood disturbance, adjustment to cancer and self-rated health. Differences in scores were compared between the control group and the intervention group.


RESULTS
The effect of the intervention on mood disturbance and adjustment to cancer showed a transient difference at the 6-month follow-up, where the intervention group reported less reduction in anxious preoccupation (P=0.04), helplessness (P=0.002), confusion (P=0.001) and depression (P=0.04). Otherwise no significant effects were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that use of Internet-based support groups in cancer patients still needs to confirm long-lasting psychological effects.
Høybye
M T
MT
Department of Psychosocial Cancer Research, Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark. metteh@cancer.dk
Dalton
S O
SO
Deltour
I
I
Bidstrup
P E
PE
Frederiksen
K
K
Johansen
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000786:Anger; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003221:Confusion; D003718:Denmark; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D018579:Patient Selection; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome