Online Social Support Groups Research Articles

In-person and computer-mediated social support for international students at U.S. universities: Associations with acculturative stress and mental health

Objectives: The current study explored whether social support received from either mediated or in-person contact varied among international students depending on the level of social ties (stronger/weaker) with existing support groups. This study also examined whether in-person or computer mediated social support (CMSS) is a better predictor of acculturative stress which might influence mental health of international students. Methods: An online survey was conducted among 179 international students across three U.S. universities. Results: Results showed that international students perceive stronger online social ties compared to in-person social ties, t(125)=– 3.57, p < .001. Stronger ties with CMSS significantly negatively influence acculturative stress compared to in-person social support for international students, (b = −0.24, 95% CI [-0.45, −0.03]). This indicates that as CMSS increases, acculturative stress decreases among international students. Conclusions: This study concludes that online social support groups can positively influence mental health of college student populations, particularly those who feel stressed out.

170 Collective creativity; promoting physical activity. Outlining a Co-design process for the development of Digital Physical Activity promotion initiatives for Autistic Adults

Abstract Purpose Autistic students at higher education institutions in Ireland have reported feelings of isolation, depression, and disengagement, all of which contribute to health disparities in this population. It is critical to address these issues, given the recent significant increase in the number of Autistic youths enrolling in higher education. To inform the development of acceptable and effective physical activity promotion programmes, we utilized a co-design process with the aim of co-creating a digital health intervention to promote physical activity among Autistic university students. Methods A co-design process [Design Thinking] was utilized for the development of the intervention. First, to empathize with participants, semi-structured interviews were held with Autistic adults. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed via reflexive thematic analysis. Actionable intervention targets were defined, and potential solutions ideated. The findings from the interviews informed the exploration and refinement of intervention ideas during co-design workshops. Workshops featured a multidisciplinary development team, including Autistic adults and experts in technology, physical activity promotion, and digital health. Results Three central themes were developed during analysis of the interview data: (1) “Psychological Factors” describing participants’ experiences and needs relating to routines, motivation, and self-consciousness/anxiety; (2), “E-Health Ideas and Needs” encapsulated the participants’ preferences and suggestions for digital health intervention components; and (3) “Supportive Spaces” encompassing the participants’ preferences relating to physical and social environments for physical activity. Individual interviews findings informed the ideation of digital health solutions for refinement in co-design workshops; these included interventions focusing on enhancing e-communication about physical activity opportunities on campus, the use of AI Chatbots for physical activity promotion; and the use of online social support groups. Conclusions Findings suggest Autistic adults face a variety of interrelated barriers to physical activity. The co-design process enabled the collective design of digital health interventions with the potential to overcome these barriers and support Autistic students to enjoy and more active, engaged University experience. Support/Funding Source Erasmus+ Sport grant

Social Identity and Online Support Groups: A Qualitative Study with Family Caregivers

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to explore whether a sense of collective or shared group identity was developed in one established online social support group for family caregivers and, if so, what did group identification mean for the group members and how was this cultivated in the group.MethodsEighteen semi-structured interviews were carried out with members of a family caregiver online support group in Ireland. Inductive and deductive reflexive thematic analysis drawing on the social identity approach (SIA) generated four main themes and several related subthemes.ResultsThe first main theme generated was The group are a Tribe and the Tribe gets it, with subthemes: Invisibility as a common experience, my Tribe understands I am more than just a carer and Just being part of the Tribe can be enough. The second main theme generated was the Tribe is a lifeline and life-changing, with related subthemes: Our connection relieves experiences of loneliness and social isolation and Sharing knowledge, experience and support made me feel visible. The third and fourth main themes generated were The leadership of group moderators helped create the Tribe identity and Lessons that can be learnt. These findings are discussed in relation to the social identity approach, social isolation and loneliness.ConclusionsWe concluded that group identity can be cultivated through considered, active and balanced moderation, creating a safe, welcoming and supportive space where family caregivers are able to have fun and seek information, advice and emotional support, which helps relieve loneliness and social isolation.

Factors Associated with Acute Stress Among Undergraduate and Graduate Students after the First Month of the Covid-19 Pandemic: Anxiety Sensitivity, Fear of Covid-19, Sex

As with any life-threatening event, the Covid-19 outbreak causes people to have emotional reactions such as fear and anxiety. Understanding people’s emotional responses to the pandemic is important to understand mental health results. This study investigated the relationships between the levels of acute stress disorder symptoms, anxiety sensitivity, and fear of coronavirus. Data for this aim was collected from university students between the ages of 18 and 55 through an online research form. Data was collected between 23 April 2020 and 29 May 2020. Analysis of 739 participants showed that 67.9% of the participants had symptoms of acute stress ranging from moderate to extreme. It was also observed that anxiety sensitivity, fear of coronavirus, and sex explained 31.0% of the variance in acute stress symptom levels. Also, it was observed that the fear of coronavirus was higher in women than in men. The results point out that support systems that aid psychological well-being such as accessible online psychological help, and online social support groups have great importance during and after the pandemic. It has been thought that it may be beneficial to develop intervention programs targeting anxiety sensitivity to prevent trauma symptoms.

Support Group Utilization and Perspectives Among Hidradenitis Suppurativa Patients

Introduction: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis associated with significant psychosocial burden. HS patients are more likely to experience mental health comorbidities such as depression and anxiety. They may also experience isolation due to fear of stigmatization as HS lesions are often associated with pain, scarring, and odor. This study investigates the perspectives of HS patients on HS support groups and the usage of this resource among this population. Methods: An anonymous Redcap survey was utilized via online social media HS support groups between 10/2021-1/2022 to collect demographic, usage, and perspective data. Comparative statistics were conducted and p-value of &lt;0.05 was considered significant. Results: Of the 166 respondents, 78% respondents were part of an HS support group however, only 12% of respondents were recommended to join by their main HS healthcare provider and most (68%) learned about support groups through their own internet searches. Most respondents were daily (42%) and weekly (38%) support group users. Virtual meetings were preferred by the majority compared to in person meetings (50% vs 13%). The top reasons respondents reported attending support groups were to better understand HS, increasing their knowledge of HS resources, and access to treatment/care tips. Respondents without dermatologists as their main HCP and skin of color (SOC) respondents were more likely to report that support groups improved their care of HS (4.29 vs 3.90, p=0.031). Conclusion: Our findings highlight the preferential format of virtual support groups and that support groups may be an underutilized resource by healthcare providers for their patients. Support groups may help to narrow gaps in education when patients are unable to access or have delays in obtaining dermatological care, especially in SOC patients who have historically experienced higher rates of healthcare disparities.

Resilience resources and coping strategies of COVID-19 female long haulers: A qualitative study.

Female long haulers deal with persistent post-acute COVID-19 symptoms that have serious health implications. This study aimed to identify resilience resources at multiple socio-ecological levels for female long haulers and describe how resilience resources affect their responses to long COVID. Purposive sampling was adopted to recruit participants through social media from April to June 2021 followed by 15 semi-structured interviews. An inductive analytical approach was adopted to categorize themes by open and axial coding that were verified by peer review. Female long haulers relied on resources at various socio-ecological levels to foster their resilience in response to long COVID. At the individual level, they utilized cognitive and emotional resources to increase knowledge, learn new skills, set goals, and manage emotions; behavioral resources (e.g., internal motivation and executive functioning) to perform physical, creative, and recreational activities, and adopt healthier eating habits; and spiritual resources to perform spiritual rituals and connect with God. At the social level, the support from existing relationships and/or online social support groups enhanced their social identity and provided material and informational resources. At the health systems level, the guidance from counselors and physicians and availability of clinics, medicines, and health equipment assisted them in symptom management and medication adherence. The resilience of female long haulers can be enhanced through (1) offering financial and health-related resources, (2) developing online social-support groups, (3) counseling and care service training for healthcare professionals, and (4) implementing more psychosocial interventions by labor organizations.

Exploring Online Social Support Groups, Part 2

BackgroundFacebook support groups are becoming frequently used by mothers to support them in breastfeeding.AimTo explore how breastfeeding mothers make sense of and interpret their experiences of online social support groups, and the perceived impact of group use.MethodTen semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted, data transcribed, and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.ResultsThis article reports on two of four themes. Breastfeeding women seek different types of support at different times in their breastfeeding journey, and the groups were seen to offer emotional, technical, informational, and experiential support. Professional support was sought for “major” issues, but the experiences of like-minded others were important for most women, managing the day-to-day challenges and emotions when becoming a mother and breastfeeding. They provide a community of likeminded people who support the mother to build confidence and provide reassurance that normalizes breastfeeding and leads to reciprocity and activism.ConclusionMothers appreciated the informational, emotional, and experiential support that the online groups offered; support that provided confidence, reassurance, and normalized breastfeeding.

Evidence and consensus-based clinical practice guidelines for management of overweight and obesity in midlife women: An AIIMS-DST initiative.

Evidence and consensus-based clinical practice guidelines for management of overweight and obesity in midlife women: An AIIMS-DST initiative.

Interactions and perceptions of patients with rheumatoid arthritis participating in an online support group.

Peer support is important for psychosocial well-being in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Our objective was to assess the interactions, engagement, and perceptions of participants in an online support group for patients with RA. Participants were 18years or older, diagnosed with RA within 10years, and residing in the USA or Canada. All participated in a closed Facebook online support group. Membership was by invitation only, and discussions were visible only to members, moderators, and two research staff. Each week, participants discussed a topic posted by a moderator. They also shared other disease-relevant information beside the topics posted. We assessed participants' engagement and qualitatively analyzed the content of their postings in the first 5weeks of participation. The group had 90 participants: 94% were female and 83% white. Median age was 54 (24-84) years. Mean number of contributors per week was 50 (range, 42-62); 10% of participants never contributed to the discussions. Participation in discussions declined over time. Over three-quarters of participant posting were about information sharing. Participants shared information on disease experiences, medications, social lives (including pictures of themselves, families, and pets), online resources on RA, frustrations, messages of encouragement, and satirical depictions of their disease experience. Many expressed gratitude for the social support provided. Participants were generally enthusiastic and shared disease-related information and personal experiences. Social media groups may provide alternative means of providing education and peer support often lacking in traditional models of care.Key Points• The study examines how patients with rheumatoid arthritis engage in an online support group and the nature of their interactions.• This study reveals that social media platforms could provide viable options or complements to the traditional face-to-face small group patient support system.• It may be necessary to pay special attention to how to ensure a sustained participant interest in online social support group among patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The Perceived Availability of Online Social Support: Exploring the Contributions of Illness and Rural Identities in Adults with Chronic Respiratory Illness.

Joining an online social support group may increase perceived membership to a community, but it does not guarantee that the community will be available when it is needed. This is especially relevant for adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), many of whom reside in rural regions and continually negotiate their illness identity. Drawing from social support literature and communication theory of identity, this cross-sectional study explored how COPD illness and geographic identities interact to influence patients’ perceived availability of online social support. In April 2018, 575 adults with a history of respiratory symptoms completed an online survey. Patients with a COPD diagnosis reported greater availability of online support. This was partially mediated by a positive degree of COPD illness identity (i.e., being diagnosed with COPD, a history of tobacco use, severe respiratory symptoms, high disease knowledge, and low income but high education). The relationship between COPD illness identity and the availability of online support was strongest among those with low rural identity; however, at lower levels of COPD illness identity, participants with high rural identity reported the greatest degree of available online support. Results have important implications for tailored education approaches across the COPD care continuum by illness and geographic identities.

Role of empowerment and sense of community on online social health support group

Purpose Drawing on the taxonomy of patient empowerment and a sense of community (SoC), the purpose of this paper is to analyze the factors that impact the intention of the individual to continue using online social health support community for their chronic disease management. Design/methodology/approach A survey design was used to collect the data from multiple online social health support groups related to chronic disease management. The survey yielded a total of 246 usable responses. Findings The primary findings from this study indicate that the informational support – not the nurturant support such as emotional, network, and esteem support – are the major types of support people are seeking from an online social health support community. This research also found that patient empowerment and SoC would positively impact their intention to continue using the online health community. Research limitations/implications This study utilized a survey design method may limit precision and realism. Also, there is the self-selection bias as the respondents self-selected themselves to take the survey. Practical implications The findings can help the community managers or webmasters to design strategies for the promotion and diffusion of online social health group among patient of chronic disease. Those strategies should focus on patient’s empowerment through action facilitating and social support and through creating a SoC. Originality/value An innovative research model integrates patient empowerment and a SoC to study patient’s chronic disease management through online social health groups to fill the existing research gap.

Online social support groups for informal caregivers of hospice patients with cancer.

Social support is an important factor in reducing caregiver burden, however, accessing social support via traditional means is often challenging for family caregivers of hospice patients. Online support groups may offer an effective solution. The present study sought to understand dynamics of online social support among family and other informal (e.g., friends) caregivers of hospice cancer patients in an online social support group. The primary aim of the study was to identify types of online social support and support-seeking behaviors, with a secondary aim to understand informal hospice caregivers' preferences for social support. Data used in this study were collected as part of a federally funded randomized clinical trial of an informal hospice cancer caregiver support intervention. Findings are based on directed and conventional content analysis of support group members' posts and comments-including text and images-and a sample of caregivers' exit interviews. Analyses demonstrated that the majority of online support provided by group members was emotional support, followed by companionship support, appraisal support, and informational support. Instrumental support was rarely provided. Support was primarily elicited in an indirect manner through self-disclosure and patient updates, with few overt requests for support. Findings suggest online social support groups can be a valuable resource for informal caregivers who are in need of emotional support and lack the ability to access face-to-face support groups. Clinical implications of this research to healthcare systems regarding the importance of incorporating nurses and other medical professionals as co-facilitators of online support groups are discussed.

Exploring How People Affected by Methamphetamine Exchange Social Support Through Online Interactions on Facebook: Content Analysis.

BackgroundMethamphetamine is an illicit and addictive psychostimulant that remains to be a significant cause of economic burden in Australia. Social media is increasingly being used by nongovernment organizations and health services to encourage the growth of social support networks among people with health-related issues. Several studies have investigated the utility of social media in providing social support to groups of people with health-related issues. However, limited research exists that explores how people who have been directly or indirectly affected by methamphetamine use social media for social support.ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the types of social support being sought and provided by people affected by methamphetamine when interacting with others on a Facebook page.MethodsA total of 14,777 posts were collected from a Facebook page and transferred into an Excel document for content analysis. The posts were manually coded into categories of social support using an adapted version of Cutrona and Suhr’s Social Support Behavior Code. Posts could be coded into more than one category. Saturation was reached at 2000 posts, which were used to draw inferences.ResultsEmotional support was the most offered support type, with 42.05% (841/2000) of posts providing this form of support. This is followed by esteem support, which was provided in 40.40% (808/2000) of posts. Overall, 24.20% (484/2000) of posts offered informational support. Network support and tangible support were the least offered support types, with 2.25% (45/2000) and 1.70% (34/2000) of posts offering these types of support, respectively.ConclusionsThis study suggests that online social support groups can be effective in challenging stigma by encouraging people affected by methamphetamine to connect with each other and talk about their struggles. This in turn represents an important step toward successful rehabilitation.

Hystersisters: messages of social support in an online health support group for women

ABSTRACTBackground: Online social support groups have become a popular source of health information for patients and the comments exchanged there can be regarded as a kind of social support.Purpose: The aim of this qualitative study was to explore and categorize messages of social support exchanged by hysterectomy patients who visited http://www.hystersisters.com during a six-week period. Two questions were examined: (a) which types of social support are most frequently exchanged on hystersisters.com? and (b) in what ways do women exchange social support on hystersisters.com?Method: A total of 200 messages posted were selected for analysis. Using Cutruna and Suhr’s coding framework and a grounded theory approach, messages were categorized within the coding framework and then analyzed to explore other emerging themes.Results: Findings revealed that informational and emotional support were exchanged most frequently, followed by esteem support, with network and tangible aid as the least frequently exchanged forms of support. Affection and relational support were the most frequently used sub-categories of social support overall, creating a unique sense of community that helped users to transcend their circumstances. Findings also revealed that the sharing of advice and encouragement through personal narratives promoted reciprocal self-disclosure and community-building.Conclusions: Further study should investigate which forms of social support are most effective in health-related online support groups and whether these forms of support result in feelings of self-efficacy, better interactions with health providers, and/or improved health outcomes. Recommendations for practitioners and suggestions for future research are provided.

Online social support group use by breastfeeding mothers: A content analysis

BackgroundBreastfeeding is a public health priority and lack of breastfeeding support a contributing factor to the low initiation and continuation rates in the UK. Online social support groups are being increasingly utilised by breastfeeding mothers and research into this phenomenon is only now emerging. AimTo document and describe the posts made within an online breastfeeding support group. MethodThe posts made to an online breastfeeding social support group between 1st and 7th November 2016 were recorded using an unobtrusive non-participant design, and subject to systematic message content analysis. Themes relating to topics of discussion were deduced from the data and concepts of social support used to analyse the data. ResultsThe group received 501 posts over the week (m = 72, range 20–93 a day) and was accessed 24 hours a day. Eighty-two percent of posts received comments (m = 12, range 0–415, SD = 24) and 93% received likes (m = 11, range = 0–641, SD 42). The group was used from pregnancy and until the child was over two years old. The majority of infants discussed were aged 6 weeks to 6 months. Informational support was the greatest reason for use (65%), followed by esteem support (18%) and emotional support (10%). Thirteen topics of conversations were identified. ConclusionMothers are using online social support groups in their thousands to seek information from people in similar situations. Not only do they pose questions but they discuss a range of parenting and breastfeeding topics in an environment that aims to support and facilitate responses. The impact of this support avenue within the wider context of professional, family and offline support warrants further investigation through a qualitative approach.

Providing and Seeking Support Online : Chinese Women with Gynecological Diseases

This paper focused on the experiences of Chinese women with gynecological diseases. Drawing from the literature on supportive communication and supporting seeking strategies, this study investigated how Chinese women with gynecological diseases provide and seek support in a Chinese online social support group called Fight against Gynecological Diseases. From a qualitative content analysis, it was revealed that Chinese women used the online group to circumvent the social taboo surrounding gynecological diseases. The online discussion group was used by women primarily to seek support. In seeking support, Chinese women directly sought out support rather than indirectly soliciting support. Among various types of support, they mainly asked for advice and emotional support. These findings reaffirm the value of online discussion groups for patients and their caregivers, especially for those who experience difficulty in receiving or seeking support elsewhere. The results also call for better facilitation of supportive communication in online discussion groups.

Anonymity and Interaction in an Online Breast Cancer Social Support Group

Despite the benefits of using online social support groups, prior research does not provide a solid understanding of the online factors related to an individual’s supportive interaction. Accordingly, this study aims to explore how various aspects of anonymity predict different levels of social support engagement. The current study uncovers that visually identifiable group members are more likely to get supportive responses than are visually anonymous members. Also, when support group members are visually and discursively identifiable, they are more likely to get supportive messages than those who are visually and discursively anonymous. Additionally, the more identifiable support group members are, the more they receive positive messages. Practical implications for the role of social support group members’ anonymity/identifiability on the overall social support process are presented.

Online support for vulnerable consumers: a safe place?

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the service experience in an online support community of consumers to understand the nature of social support and how it is experienced and enacted by vulnerable consumers.Design/methodology/approachA netnographic study was conducted to examine vulnerable consumers’ participation in an online support group for weight management. The Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC) program was used, and additionally data were coded using open coding. A hybrid approach to data analysis was undertaken using inductive and deductive methods.FindingsThe findings suggest online social support groups can be used as an online “third place” to support vulnerable consumers, with vulnerable groups engaging with the online support group differently than those in the normal weight group. Social support was also found to be bi-directional in nature.Research limitations/implicationsThis study only investigates one online support group. To gain deeper insights, other support groups should be examined over a longer period.Practical implicationsThis paper demonstrates that transformative services have the hidden capacity to optimize their services to enable vulnerable consumers to co-create social support in a safe place, thus providing a non-judgmental environment with the end goal of improving their health and well-being.Social implicationsFindings reveal how services can enable marginalization and stigmatization to be overcome and inspire social action through the use of online support groups.Originality/valueThis research is unique in that it used a netnography approach to examine how vulnerable consumers interact in an online service setting, reducing self-report bias and allowing for a natural research setting, thus allowing a unique understanding of how vulnerable consumers experience and enact social support.

Online social network use among parents of young childhood cancer survivors.

82 Background: Online social networks (OSNs) have emerged in the past decade as potentially powerful tools for health information sharing and health behavior change. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, 75% of all parents are active on OSNs. Given the high level of need for childhood cancer survivorship health education and preventive health behavior change, OSNs represent key resources for parents to engage with experts and peers over survivorship health. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 114 parents of young and adolescent ( &lt; 13 years) childhood cancer survivors was used to examine parent OSN use in specific platforms. Recruitment was conducted through online social support groups of two childhood cancer non-profits that focus on parent support. The novel online survey investigated OSN frequency of use, history of making new friends in OSNs, and whether OSNs were “good for sharing and receiving reliable and high quality information on diet, physical activity, and other healthy behaviors.” Results: Parents reported high levels of OSN use with 80% reporting daily use. Facebook was the most commonly used OSN by a wide margin. Seventy-eight percent of parents reported using it every day. The next most used OSN was Instagram (15%). Parents reported making new friends on Facebook (86%), followed by Instagram (22%) and Twitter (10%). Among parents who have used the respective OSNs, several were endorsed as being “good” or “extremely good” for sharing survivorship-related preventive health information. Facebook was endorsed by 76% of its users, Twitter and Pinterest by 59%, Google+ by 52%, and Instagram by 40%. None of the demographic variables collected predicted parent OSN use or perception. There was a strong association between parents using OSNs daily and their reporting having made new friends on OSNs (p &lt; .000). Conclusions: Parents of young childhood cancer survivors recruited from online support groups report high levels of OSN use and making new friends through OSNs, and find OSNs potentially good sources for sharing and receiving survivorship-related health information. OSNs in general, and Facebook in particular, represent promising avenues for childhood cancer survivorship health information dissemination.

Online Social Support for Participants of Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis Groups

ABSTRACTThousands of people affected by or caring for someone affected by Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis participate in online social support groups today. The diseases, which are often discussed in conjunction due to being similar in nature, have no cure and yet affect over 1 million people in the United States alone. There is a need for health communication scholarship to examine the nature of the messages in Crohn’s and UC groups, which can lend insight into the unique struggles and psychosocial benefits that members gain from group participation. To develop an in-depth understanding of social support exchanges on these groups, 2000 posts within a 2-year period were randomly selected and content analyzed. Using a taxonomy of social support, several categories and subcategories of social support emerged. Results showed that informational support (41.1%) and emotional support (36.1%) were most frequently exchanged, followed by esteem support (14.3%) and network support (14.2%). Data suggested that several exchanges, such as symptom management and remission, experiences of extraintestinal manifestations, and relational support, may be contextually unique due to the variety of symptoms and treatments unique to Crohn’s and UC. Recommendations are provided for researchers to collaborate with health practitioners and educators, including developing interventions and patient-centered practices to better serve patients and caregivers of Crohn’s and UC. Further avenues for research in social support are also recommended.