Partners and Fellow Patients: Two Sources of Emotional Support for Women with Breast Cancer

From the observers' perspective, the volunteer helpers were more helpful, empathic, and supportive, less critical, and used more self-disclosure than the partners.

Abstract

This study examined the helping process that occurred when 26 breast cancer patients (the disclosers) talked about their illness-related concerns with their partner and, in a separate conversation, with a fellow patient (the volunteer helpers). The conversations were rated by trained observers and by the disclosers in terms of several process and outcome variables. From the observers' perspective, the volunteer helpers were more helpful, empathic, and supportive, less critical, and used more self-disclosure than the partners. Disclosers did not differentiate between the two types of helper, and gave generally high ratings to both conversations. Strengths and weaknesses of each type of helper were identified. Findings are discussed in relation to the literature on formal and informal helping, and implications for training nonprofessional helpers are suggested.