Development of a support group using a virtual space for cancer patients

نویسندگان

  • Takashi Kusumi
  • Kanayo Ogura
  • Asako Miura
چکیده

We report findings from a chat log analysis of a support group in which 2–5 patients and one or two facilitators chatted in a virtual space; weekly sessions lasted 1.5 hrs. each, and we followed them over five years. In the virtual space, participants were represented by avatars with emotional expressions. Chat messages were analysed with a text-mining tool, exploring whether positive emotion words (e.g., ‘happy’), medicine-related words (e.g., ‘symptoms’), and informational/emotional-support messages (giving and receiving) would increase over time. We found that frequency of positive emotion words increased in Years 1–3 and remained constant thereafter; medical-related words did not increase until Year 5. Support messages increased from Years 1 to 3. Analysis of messages indicated that the patients’ and facilitators’ conversational roles changed as a sense of community emerged. The virtual support group appeared to promote positive emotions, trust among members, and mutual supportive relationships within the group.

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عنوان ژورنال:
  • IJWBC

دوره 10  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2014