Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to identify public health nurses' attitudes, awareness and practice regarding patient support groups. Method: Questionnaires were mailed to 348 public health nurses, and a valid response was obtained from 149 nurses (42.8%). Results: The greatest nursing involvement by far was to initiate and set up support groups. Nurses referred clients to their own support groups because of their familiarity with these groups. In addition, they intended their support groups to grow into self-help groups. They did not know the original helping characteristics of self-help groups, but recognized many benefits of self-help groups and support groups. They thought that autonomy was important for such groups, but occasionally professional leadership and support were also necessary. Most nurses believed that they improved their professional practice through work with support groups and self-help groups. Conclusions: The definition of patient support groups should be made clear because Japanese public health nurses use inconsistent terms to refer to such groups. It seems a cause of confusion.
