E
ffects of Target, Topic, and Time on Disclosure
in an Online Breast Cancer Support Group
Abstract
For participants in an asynchronous online breast cancer support group (n=82),
two months of messages were sampled and coded for target, general disclosure, and
four disclosure attributes: ego-relevance, positive and negative affect, and cancer topic.
A subset of messages was coded for social support.
General disclosure declined between months while emotional support increased.
Both changes were associated with a shift in primary message targets over time from
the group to individuals, suggesting that participation met different needs over time.
Contrary to typical expectations during relationship development, disclosure
attributes did not increase with time and appeared higher in messages to the group
rather than to individuals, suggesting a possible therapeutic role for group messages.
Disclosure dimensions were limited to messages about cancer, suggesting a high
specific utility of the group. Women who dropped out may have either had a lesser need
to disclose or may have chosen an ineffective disclosure strategy.