from Clinical Journal of Oncology
Traditional grief support groups tend to
attract an older, often female, population.
But counselors at the University of North
Carolina found men with dependent
children whose spouses died from cancer
tended to be overlooked. During
counseling sessions young mothers dying
of cancer expressed concern about their
husbands and children, especially after the
women died. UNC officials began a pilot
support program called Single Fathers Due
to Cancer—the first of its kind in the
United States. They reported in the
Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing so
that other institutions may develop similar
programs. Authors say fathers appreciate
the chance to talk with each other and
share advice and feedback from others
who can understand their struggles, and
offering a forum that neither individual
therapy or talking with family and friends
can.