Personal Empowerment

Free Articles

Høybye, M., Johansen, C., & Tjornhoj-Thomsen, T. (2005). Online interaction. effects of storytelling in an internet breast cancer support group. Psycho-Oncology, 14(3), 211-220. doi:10.1002/pon.837. Retrieved April 5, 2011: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pon.837/abstract

This case study by Høybe et al. (2005) is significant because it is one of the first to examine online breast cancer support groups in a non-English context. Most current research has been conducted in the U.S. Following fifteen Scandinavian women using a breast cancer mailing list for social support; the study analyzes links between postings made and therapeutic effects. Categorizing all 1156 postings made over an 8-month period, four empowerment strategies were identified. (1) Empowerment through knowledge - The women were empowered by the sense of control and well-being they derived through the resources, survivor stories and experiences shared. (2) Tears and laughter – Serious and humorous stories around breast surgery, loneliness and fear brought participants relief often through laughter. (3) Entering a new social world - The support group is a new social world that helps users overcome the social isolation they feel, improving the quality of their life. (4) Social intimacy - The absence of physical contact made it easier for the women to discuss painful subjects such as sexuality. Significant conclusions include the need for participants to communicate their stories in their native language, and that Internet support groups can empower users through the exchange of knowledge and experience, thus having a strong impact on their well-being and rehabilitation.

Shaw, B., Han, J., Kim, E., Gustafson, D., Hawkins, R., Cleary, J., McTavish, F., Pingree, S., Eliason, P., Lumpkins, C. (2007). Effects of prayer and religious expression within computer support groups on women with breast cancer. Psycho-Oncology, 16(7), 676-687. doi:10.1002/pon.1129. Retrieved April 5, 2011 from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17131348

This study fills a research gap as it is the first to examine how prayer and religious expression in online support groups for women with breast cancer can contribute to improved psychosocial outcomes and quality of life. It analyzed postings from 231 rural Caucasians from Wisconsin and urban African Americans from Detroit, Michigan, who used an interactive cancer communication system over a 4-month period. The degree to which participants expressed religious words within text messages in the online support group was measured using a word count program. The percentage of religion-related words such as pray, worship, faith, were captured and analyzed. Results suggest that the participants’ reduced emotional distress may be related to religious coping mechanisms such as placing trust in God about the course of their illness, communicating about the belief in an afterlife, and finding blessings in their lives. In conclusion, they indicate that a higher percentage of religious words were associated with reduced negative emotions and increased levels of perceived health self-efficacy and well-being,

Han, J. Y., Shaw, B. R., Hawkins, R. P., Pingree, S., McTavish, F., & Gustafson, D. H. (2008). Expressing positive emotions within online support groups by women with breast cancer. Journal of Health Psychology, 13(8), 1002-1007. doi:10.1177/1359105308097963 Retrieved March 30, 2010 from http://hpq.sagepub.com/content/13/8/1002.full.pdf+html

This study uses Fredrickson’s 2001 Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions to examine the role of expressing positive emotions in online support groups for women with breast cancer. The theory argues that positive emotions broaden attention and cognition in individuals, thus allowing for flexible, integrative thinking and coping methods with physical benefits (Frederickson as cited in Han et al., 2008). Underserved women in rural Wisconsin and urban Michigan were given access to an online breast cancer support group. A pretest and four-month survey was conducted with a sample of 231 women, and a word count program analyzed all text messages for words connected to both positive and negative emotions. Results found that the women wrote a fairly high percentage of positive emotion words (average 473 words) as opposed to negative emotion words (average 133 words). Findings support Fredrickson’s theory, suggesting positive emotions can provide a coping method for people with serious illnesses. This study supports the value of online support groups for women with breast cancer, concluding that the combined use of positive and negative emotion words in texts within online support groups can be a beneficial coping mechanism.

Civan, A., Pratt, W. (2007). Threading together patient expertise. AMIA 2007 Symposium Proceedings. 140-144. Retrieved March 30, 2010 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2655889/

This study examines online breast cancer communities as mechanisms for participants to aid each other to cope with breast cancer. It analyzed over 1,000 message board threads from 318 users of three online breast cancer communities. The goal was to determine the prevalence of (1) emotional support (seeking or communicating feelings or concern, empathy, etc.) (2) informational support (seeking or providing information for guidance, etc.) and (3) instrumental support (seeking or providing practical assistance including services or personal favours, etc). Results ranged from 40 percent to 60 percent for informational support, 13.3 percent to 35 percent for emotional support, and 3.3 percent to 25 percent for instrumental support. Filling a research gap on the sources of expertise patients share in online communities, this study concludes that in addition to emotional support, peers enable others to learn from their experiences by sharing action strategies, knowledge, approaches, and information resources that reflect their patient expertise.

Article to Buy

Uden-Kraan, C., Drossaert, C.H.C., Taal, E., Shaw, B.R., Seydel, E. R., & van de Laar, M.A.F.J. (2008). Empowering processes and outcomes of participation in online support groups for patients with breast cancer, arthritis, or fibromyalgia. Qualitative Health Research, 18(3), 405-417. Retrieved April 5, 2011 from: http://qhr.sagepub.com/content/18/3/405.short

Uden-Kraan et al. (2008) examined how online support groups for patients with breast cancer, arthritis, or fibromyalgia affect empowerment or disempowerment. They interviewed thirty-two participants of online support groups and found evidence of empowering processes such as exchanging information, encountering emotional support, finding recognition, sharing experiences, helping others, and amusement. Subjects indicated that, through relying on online support groups, they had become more autonomous patients; informed about treatment, feeling more optimistic, enhanced self-esteem etc. Disempowering processes including worrying about the quality of the information and encountering complainers were mentioned far less frequently. This study provides readers with a view of both the positive and negative aspects regarding (dis)empowerment. It also parallels breast cancer patients with other terminally ill patients. While it is not statistically significant, the interviews provide a wealth of insight into the processes that facilitate empowerment derived through online support groups.