Building patients’ trust in psychologists in online mental health communities

Abstract

Sufferers’ mental illnesses experience changes in communication, cognition, and behavior, exposing differences in social behavior and relationships. Many who suffer from mental health problems notice that the reduced communication ability leads to social inclusion and distrust of others. Online Mental Health Communities (OMHCs) facilitate a new means of communication between patients and physicians. Based on the trust source credibility framework, trust transitivity theory, social resources and physician-patient interactions, this study aims to evaluate the factors that influence patients’ trust in OMHCs. We crawled the data from Haodf.com, the leading healthcare community platform in China, to study the factors that influence patients’ trust using the ordinary least squares regression method. 725 psychologists’ records were collected on 19 November, 2019, 20 December, 2019, and 20 May, 2020. Compared with face-to-face physician appointments, Chief Physicians are more likely to gain patients’ initial trust online. Further, psychologists’ integrity, online reputation, and group size have significant positive impact on the initial trust of patients. Similarly, patients’ online initial trust and efforts have significantly positive influences on their continuous trust online. To improve relationships between physicians and patients, physicians must strengthen their clinical abilities and be honest with patients. The findings of this study provide insights into the factors that influence patients’ trust in OMHCs.