Helping them cope

1. Self-help groups for individuals with sarcoidosis (a noncontagious multisystem disorder characterized by granulomas in many organs) are rare despite the physical and emotional problems associated with this disease. 2. The stimulus for the development of the group arose when staff in a pulmonary clinic identified that sarcoidosis patients were helping each other cope with problems and concerns related to their disease and feelings of isolation. 3. Nurses play a significant role in creating vehicles of help and service to facilitate and support patients experiencing fear and anxiety about their disease. Nurses must recognize the role self-help groups play in assisting individuals to maintain their quality of life as they adapt to the psychosocial, physiological, and medical aspects of their illness.