Rehab-Diary: Enhancing Recovery Identity with an Online Support Group for Middle Aged and Older Ovarian Cancer Patients

Ovarian cancer presents significant well-being challenges for middle-aged and older women. Recent research underscores the vital role of recovery identity in predicting wellbeing. However, a research gap exists regarding the influence of online support groups (OSPs) on identity synthesis for middle-aged and older cancer patients. This study introduces "Rehab-Diary," a mobile age-friendly OSP grounded in The Social Identity Model of Identity Change, aimed at helping ovarian cancer patients foster recovery identity. A four-week randomized controlled trial involving 68 participants assessed the OSP's impact. The interface was tailored for ease of use by older individuals. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing Rehab-Diary among older individuals. The intervention effectively enhanced recovery identity. This study offers evidence-based insights for developing future age-friendly online support interventions, ultimately enhancing ovarian cancer patients' quality of care.