NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES IN SUPPORT GROUPS

Although the benefits of support groups are well documented in the literature, little attention has been given to possible negative effects. A review of the literature related to support groups, negative experiences in groups, and social support, as well as personal accounts of members and practitioners, affirm the importance of considering the negative experiences in support groups. In addition, this material provides a base for the specification of potential problematic group conditions and negative outcomes and points to issues in obtaining information from respondents about negative factors. Findings from mailed questionnaires given to practitioners leading cancer support groups indicate the nature of the negative experiences in groups that these practitioners had led or heard about. Implications of these findings for prevention and intervention are discussed.