title: The process and effect of supportive message expression and reception in online breast cancer support groups.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To better understand the process and effect of social support exchanges within computer-mediated social support (CMSS) groups for breast cancer patients, this study examines (1) the dynamic interplay between emotional support giving and receiving and (2) the relative effects of emotional support giving and receiving on patients' psychosocial health outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data was collected from 177 patients who participated in online cancer support groups within the Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System (CHESS) during the 4-month intervention. Data included (1) pretest and/or post-test survey scores of demographic, disease-related, and psychosocial factors, (2) automatically collected CHESS usage data, and (3) computer-aided content analysis of social support messages posts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that those who receive higher levels of support from others have fewer breast cancer-related concerns (β = - 0.15, p<0.05), while those who give higher levels of support to others reframe their own problems in a positive light and adopt more positive strategies for coping (β = 0.16, p<0.05). In addition to these positive effects, partial correlation analysis indicated that these two supportive behaviors are reciprocal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that supportive exchanges of receiving and giving play positive, but different, roles in predicting psychosocial health outcomes. Moreover, emotional support giving and receiving tend to reinforce each other. Our findings help practitioners, health-care providers, and health system designers make sense of diverse social support processes among cancer patients participating within CMSS groups.
authors.affiliation: School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA. ekkim2@wisc.edu
authors.forename: Eunkyung
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jeong Yeob
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Tae Joon
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Bret
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Dhavan V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Fiona M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: McTavish
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Gustafson
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012944:Social Support