title: Carrying the burden: perspectives of African American pastors on peer support for people with cancer.
abstract: For African Americans facing advanced cancer, churches are trusted sources of support and ideal settings to improve access to supportive care. The Support Team model enhances community support for practical, emotional, and spiritual caregiving. We report on focus groups with pastors of 23 Black Churches and explore their perspective on the Support Team model for church members with cancer. Pastors describe the needs of church members facing cancer from a holistic perspective and recognize opportunities for synergistic faith-health collaboration. The results of this study indicate potential benefits of the Support Team model in Black Churches to reduce silent suffering among individuals facing cancer.
authors.affiliation: Cecil Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 725 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, CB#7590, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7590, USA, mgreen@schsr.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: Laura C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: Tonya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: Stacie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peacock
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elliott-Bynum
authors.forename: Moses
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goldmon
authors.forename: Giselle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Corbie-Smith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002977:Clergy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010327:Pastoral Care; D010379:Peer Group; D012944:Social Support