Online prayer may benefit breast cancer patients

Praying online in a support group may help women with breast cancer cope with the disease more effectively, a new study shows.

Dr. Bret Shaw of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and colleagues found that breast cancer patients who used a higher percentage of religion-related words in their communications with an Internet support group had lower levels of negative emotions, better functional well-being, and more confidence in their ability to deal with their illness.

"Breast cancer patients who want to pray can use online support groups as a place to cope with their illness with other people going through similar situations," Shaw told Reuters Health. "Our data suggest that this might make you feel better."

Shaw decided to launch the study after observing how common it was for people to use prayer in online support groups. "We noticed a lot of people were exchanging prayers on line, praying for themselves and other group participants," he said.

However, he added that "some women were so kind of turned off by the overly religious tone of the groups that they did not want to participate."

To investigate the health, social and emotional effects of online prayer for women with breast cancer, Shaw and his team loaned a group of women computers linked to the Web. They also provided training on computer and Internet use. The women were surveyed at the study's outset and again after four months of support group participation.

Among the 97 women who posted more than twice to the group, those who used a higher percentage of religion-related words (such as bless, faith, heaven and pray) showed lower levels of negative emotions, better functional well-being, and greater health-related self-efficacy, meaning they had more confidence in their ability to cope with their illness.

But there was no association between the use of religion-related words and women's levels of breast cancer-related concerns, emotional well being, social support, or positive reframing, a coping strategy that involves looking at a challenge in a more positive light.

The women used a number of different religion-related coping mechanisms, Shaw noted, such as believing in an afterlife, not fearing death, believing that "God gives you what you need to face your challenges," and focusing on the "blessings" in one's life rather than the problems.

Most women in the study were Christian, and Shaw said he is interested in investigating whether prayer has similar effects for people of other faiths.

He and his colleagues also suggest looking at whether an "online chaplain or spiritual guidance counselor" could provide additional benefit by guiding patients toward religious coping methods most likely to bring them comfort and the strength to get through their breast cancer treatment.

SOURCE: Psycho-Oncology;2006.