When it comes to improving health behaviors for overcoming illness or maintaining a healthy lifestyle, support groups can be a useful tool. Different types suit individual preferences. The support of others is apparently vital to thriving health-wise.
Types
Online support groups are one form of support that offers the convenience of portability. Online health support groups have been at the center of much scientific study and repeatedly show positive results. Peer to peer groups have even been cited for its large impact on health, according to Gunther Eysenbach in a response on the "British Medical Journal" online site. Such groups may even thrive because of the lack of a professional presence, according to Azy Barak, appearing in the "British Medical Journal" online. They are often run without the distribution of any related information or research.
Theory
It is well established in the scientific community that social support is an important part of health. Specifically, people with more social connections tend to have lower mortality rates, as cited by Bert Uchino in August 2006 in the "Journal of Behavioral Medicine." Sufficient social support is especially linked to lower incidences of cardiovascular disease and there is also some evidence showing that it may even impact cancer, as Uchino mentions.
Mechanism
Social support is said to indirectly and directly affect health. It indirectly affects health because people who are socially active tend to engage in behaviors that prevent disease, such as exercise and eating correctly, as stated by Uchino. Yet, the type of support is important to consider as well specifically in that it promotes positive behaviors. The direct effect on health is likely through the psychological processes that are related to feelings and mood, which in turn may affect health. Therefore, positive social relationships may make a person feel less stressed and have more control, which could directly impact physiological functioning, as Uchino notes.
Effectiveness
The National Cancer Institute supports the idea that patients with cancer participate in support groups to better equip themselves to face the difficulties related to cancer, according to Jyotsna Changrani, MD, MPH and colleagues in 2008 in "Primary Psychiatry." The researchers note that patients with cancer have experienced outcomes, such as pain reduction, improved coping skills and fewer mental health symptoms. Programs lasting 12 weeks or longer were found to be the most effective, as cited by Changrani and colleagues.
Cultural Considerations
Programs that have been effective in other groups do not have a track record of success with people of Hispanic ethnicity, as explained by Jyotsna Changrani and colleagues. When Spanish-speaking social workers were selected for facilitating the wellness programs targeted to Hispanics, participants gained improvement in their health-related knowledge and had a boost of social and emotional well-being. These programs adopted a cultural specific, multidisciplinary approach to health promotion. Extended family support and civic clubs were found to be more beneficial to African Americans and Hispanic as compared with whites, as cited by Changrani and the research team.
References
- BMJ: Methodology, Validity, and Applicability: A Critique on Eysenbach et al.; Azy Barak; May 17, 2004
- "Journal of Behavioral Medicine"; Social Support and Health: A Review of Physiological; 2006
- "Primary Psychiatry"; Online Cancer Support Groups: Experiences with Underserved Immigrant Latinas; Jyotsna Changrani MD, MPH et al.; 2008
