THE VALUE OF SUPPORT GROUPS                                                              
Nancy Burkhart, Ed.D.

If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.

Pooh's Little Instruction Book
Inspired by A.A. Milne

The Winnie the Pooh quote, although not very scientific, is true in many ways. We do a great deal of listening here at The International Oral Lichen Planus Support Group Web Site. We take our role very seriously and strongly believe in the unique power of support groups. Support groups serve as a resource for patients, family members and practitioners offering emotional support to the members through a collective effort. The support group provides a network of services for patients and practitioners providing accurate and current information by serving as a central resource. Research is promoted through the free sharing of treatment efforts, published research and data collection.

The basic purpose of support groups is to provide mutual aid and emotional support for people who share the same predicament. The value of support groups has, for some time, been shown to benefit patients through faster recoveries and increased well-being. Shearn et al. (1985) conducted a randomized study of men and women with rheumatoid arthritis and found that patients who participated in a mutual support group showed greater improvement in joint tenderness than a similar group of nonparticipants. This is also true for women with breast cancer who participated in a weekly support group. Spiegel et al. (1981) found that women with metastasis of breast cancer who participated in a weekly support group had significantly lower mood disturbances, fewer maladaptive coping responses, and fewer phobias than a similar control group. Support groups may communicate through newsletters, formal meetings or through internet sites such as The International Oral Lichen Planus Support Group. An established group shares information with the patient, healthcare providers and other participants. Researchers have reported that just having one "significant" confidant can improve overall health and well-being (Brown 1975, et al. and Broadhead 1983, et al.)

With most disease states, there are many factors which promote healing and ultimately control and cure a disease. Sometimes changes in lifestyle, improving and promoting coping skills, and stress reduction are beneficial through a group effort. Change is not easy and knowing that others are coping with similar problems produces a sense that one is not alone. Lichen planus is reported in less than 2% of the population and this produces a sense of isolation in many patients diagnosed with lichen planus. This feeling of isolation may increase anxiety. Most patients who are part of our support group report that they do not know anyone who has been diagnosed with lichen planus. Additionally, they find it difficult to obtain good, current information. Sometimes healthcare providers report that they do not have much information to provide the patient on the subject.

The goal of our support group is to assist in strengthening patient coping skills and to provide a network of information to both patients and practitioners world-wide. Secondly, we want to insure the optimal medical/dental care by helping the patient find the best care available to them. It is our intent to increase a sense of well-being for both the patient and family members.