title: Theorizing about social support and health communication in a prostate cancer support group.
abstract: This article inquires into whether and how uncertainty reduction theory and problematic integration theory, two theories relevant to social support as enacted within a chapter of the Man-to-Man prostate cancer support group, inform us of how such groups can assist group members most effectively. Interview data from members of a prostate cancer support group shed light on theoretical assumptions about uncertainty. Although the group applies elements of both theories, prostate cancer survivors likely would benefit from a more comprehensive and flexible treatment of social support theory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA. michaelarrington@uky.edu
authors.forename: Michael Irvin
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Arrington
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003142:Communication; D006266:Health Education; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012944:Social Support