Online Support Communities Research Articles

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Classrooms: A Case Study on Foreigners in South Korea Using Applied Machine Learning

In this study, we qualitatively and quantitatively examine the effects of COVID-19 on classrooms, students, and educators. Using a new Twitter dataset specific to South Korea during the pandemic, we sample the sentiment and strain on students and educators using applied machine learning techniques in order to identify various topical pain points emerging during the pandemic. Our contributions include a novel and open source geo-fenced dataset on student and educator opinion within South Korea that we are making available to other researchers as well. We also identify trends in sentiment and polarity over the pandemic timeline, as well as key drivers behind the sentiments. Moreover, we provide a comparative analysis of two widely used pre-trained sentiment analysis approaches with TextBlob and VADER using statistical significance tests. Ultimately, we analyze how public opinion shifted on the pandemic in terms of positive sentiments about accessing course materials, online support communities, access to classes, and creativity, to negative sentiments about mental fatigue, job loss, student concerns, and overwhelmed institutions. We also initiate initial discussions about the concept of actionable sentiment analysis by overlapping polarity with the concept of trigger management to assist users in coping with negative emotions. We hope that insights from this preliminary study can promote further utilization of social media datasets to evaluate government messaging, population sentiment, and multi-dimensional analysis of pandemics.

Prenatal Education in the Digital Age.

The millennial pregnant patient expects an innovative approach to prenatal care. Patients are reaching to peer support online communities or engaging in direct-to-consumer mobile applications during their pregnancy. Currently developed solutions show promise, however, the clinical impact and generalizability of these solutions remains unclear. Technology has the potential to decrease health care disparities, improve patient and provider satisfaction as well as clinical outcomes. In this article we discuss traditional models of prenatal education as well and suggest how obstetricians should consider utilizing technology as an approach to provide prenatal education to their patients.

Psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients, survivors, and carers in Australia: a real-time assessment of cancer support services

PurposeThis study aimed to explore the psychosocial impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on cancer patients, survivors, and carers in Australia.MethodsUsing real-time insights from two Cancer Council NSW services—131120 Information and Support Line and Online Community (CCOC) forums—we assessed service demand trends, distress levels (using the distress thermometer), and content from 131120 calls and online posts between 01 December 2019 and 31 May 2020. Emergent themes were identified through an inductive conventional content analysis with 131120 call notes, followed by a deductive directed content analysis on CCOC posts.ResultsIn total, 688 COVID-19-related 131120 calls (n = 496) and online posts (n = 192) were analysed. Service demand peaked in March 2020 and self-reported distress peaked in May 2020 at an average of 8/10 [Mean = 7.5; SD = 0.9]. Five themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: psychological distress and fear of virus susceptibility, practical issues, cancer service disruptions, information needs, and carer Issues.ConclusionsThe psychosocial impacts of COVID-19 on people affected by cancer are multifaceted and likely to have long-lasting consequences. Our findings drove the development of six recommendations across three domains of support, information, and access. Cancer patients, survivors, and carers already face stressful challenges dealing with a cancer diagnosis or survivorship. The added complexity of restrictions and uncertainty associated with the pandemic may compound this. It is important that healthcare providers are equipped to provide patient-centred care during and after this crisis. Our recommendations provide points of consideration to ensure care is tailored and patient oriented.

A qualitative study of online support communities for lung cancer survivors on targeted therapies.

BackgroundDue to recent treatment advances, people who have non–small cell lung cancer with oncogenic alterations are an important new group of cancer survivors. Little is known about lung cancer online support communities. This research was guided by two primary questions: (1) How do these lung cancer survivors engage in online support communities? and (2) What are the psychological, social, and physical impacts of such engagement?MethodsQualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with patients with advanced lung cancer (N = 40) to learn about their experiences with the illness. We used qualitative thematic analysis, inductive and deductive, as outlined by Carspecken. We adapted the framework for studying online communities developed by Zhang and colleagues to examine engagement with and impacts of involvement in online lung cancer support communities.ResultsParticipants described engaging in the online community through (1) initializing communication through asking questions or sharing resources, (2) responding to others comments or inquiries, or (3) simply observing/reading others posts. Participation had physical, psychological, or social impacts, with benefits (e.g., empowerment) and risks (e.g., feelings of jealousy or misinformation) in each domain. Participants used various strategies to mitigate negative impacts, such as distancing oneself as needed.ConclusionsOnline lung cancer support communities provide support, camaraderie, and specialized health information. However, there are also risks of online engagement, such as social comparison or accessing misinformation. Understanding the utility of online support communities for lung cancer survivors on targeted therapies and further addressing their risks are urgent tasks, especially in the post-COVID era.

An Investigation on the Use of Facebook Communities for Emotional Support by Nigerian Women

There exists relationship between low emotional support and poor physical and mental health outcomes and increase mortality risk. Increased emotional support is said to be a protective factor for vulnerable populations. An effective way of increasing emotional support is through social network affiliation. This study focused on the use of Facebook communities for emotional support by Nigerian women. The study has three (3) objectives: To discover the importance of online support communities in women’s lives by ascertaining how the lives of women in Facebook communities are significantly affected; establish if Facebook communities can contribute to the growth and development of women; determine if relationships can be established on the group and reinforced outside Facebook community. The research adopts the ecological systems theory for theoretical guide, while in-depth interview was used as methodology. Fifteen (15) participants were drawn as sample through snow-ball sample technique. These participants were reached through two interlocutors who agreed to participate in the research. The study gathered that the common stories posted in the group were that of abuse; all participants agreed that abuse was a fundamental issue that needed to be tackled. Some participants advocated for more posts about self-development and economic opportunities. The study concludes that online communities can serve as safe-spaces for women seeking support from their fellow women. The study recommends that the key to complete women’s emancipation lies in their economic freedom. It is nearly impossible for women to achieve full freedom if their economic power is still largely dependent on the men who are committed to dominating them.

Facebook groups for alternative treatments for cancer: advertising masquerading as community support.

Although Facebook has taken steps to mitigate scientifically dubious or potentially harmful products or services, online support communities remain targets of commercial and political interests. We wondered what a patient with cancer would encounter when he or she seeks support from Facebook groups devoted to alternative treatments of cancer. To this end, we enrolled in 25 public or private Facebook groups whose titles or descriptions included several keywords in addition to “cancer”: “alternative,” “holistic,” “herbal,” “natural,” or “vaccine.” Some groups were communities of individuals who were involved in supportive and welcoming conversations with few advertisements or appeals for donations. Posts in the majority of groups, however, were at least partially devoted to advertising dubious remedies and services to patients or asking for donations. Oncologists in social media—what are the limits?Over the past 20 years, social media has changed the way society communicates and shares information, and its widespread use has permeated health care, including oncology. Even social media's fiercest critics—who call attention to the risks of the spread of misinformation , negative consequences for mental health, and difficulty in implementing regulations—recognise that these platforms can also be useful, allowing oncologists and patients with cancer and their caregivers to share content and experiences . Full-Text PDF

Integrating online community support into outpatient breast cancer care: Mayo Clinic Connect online platform.

IntroductionMayo Clinic Connect is an online community of over 100,000 members who support each other through sharing lived experience when facing and managing new diagnoses. The community is moderated by Mayo Clinic staff and volunteer patient mentors.MethodsMayo Clinic breast clinic patients undergoing evaluation received a binder of support resources including a brochure about Mayo Clinic Connect at visits between January and May of 2019. Surveys were distributed at subsequent visits between May and December of 2019 to assess patient awareness about the online resource, participation frequency, purpose of use, and benefits for members, as well as reasons for not joining (non-members). The primary aim was to assess patient resilience, coping, and self-management after joining the online community.ResultsNine hundred surveys were distributed, and 102 participants completed surveys between May and December 2019. Forty-five percent (n = 46) had heard about Mayo Clinic Connect; 34% (n = 15) through a brochure. The remainder heard about the community from a Mayo Clinic provider (43%; n = 19) or other resources (22%, n = 10; no response n = 2). Twenty percent (n = 20) of survey participants registered as Breast Cancer group members, and most of this subgroup (55%; n = 11) reported understanding diagnosis, treatment plans, and finding peer support as reasons for joining. Seventy-five percent of Mayo Clinic Connect participants (n = 15) reported the community met or exceeded expectations.ConclusionThis pilot study reveals the potential positive impact of introducing an online peer support group into clinical care plans for patients coping with a new and anxiety-provoking cancer diagnosis.

Using Online Support Communities for Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorders: Online Survey of Users' Experiences.

BackgroundPeople living with a tic disorder (TD)—such as Tourette syndrome (TS)—experience many negative psychological and social challenges arising from chronic tics, such as stigmatization from peers and poorer quality of life, and these can impact upon their families too. It can be difficult for this population to access face-to-face support for tics, and so online support communities offer one avenue for support from peers facing similar experiences. However, little is known about how online support communities may be used by people with TS and other TDs, and by others (eg, parents, caregivers) supporting a person with TS/TD.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore users’ experiences of participation in online support communities for TS and TDs.MethodsIn total, 90 respondents (aged 13-62 years; 62% [56/90] female) from 13 countries completed an online survey exploring their experiences of using online support communities for TS and TDs. Respondents were people living with TS/TD themselves (n=68) or supportive others of someone with TS/TD (eg, parent, sibling, spouse; n=14), or both (n=8). The online survey contained open-ended questions eliciting their self-reported motivations for using online communities, their benefits and drawbacks of participation, and whether online support communities affected offline management of tics. Responses were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsSeven overarching themes captured experiences of using online support communities for TS/TDs. The overwhelming reason for their use was to find accessible support due to a lack of offline face-to-face support. Online support communities were valued sources of informational and emotional support, and also had a positive impact upon helping users’ psychological well-being. Online communities helped provide a space where people with TS/TDs could feel accepted and reduce the social isolation they felt offline. The suggestible nature of tics and being reminded of the challenging nature of TDs were main disadvantages arising from using online support communities, alongside conflict arising within online communities.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that online support communities appear to offer valuable informational and emotional support to those living with TS/TD and their families too, especially given the lack of locally available support. This facilitates a sense of community online, which can help users in overcoming long-standing social isolation and aid self-reported improvements in psychosocial well-being. Users reported some drawbacks in engaging with online support communities, such as conflict between different types of users and triggering content, which negatively affected experiences of community participation.

The information and support needs of patients living with inflammatory bowel disease: A qualitative study.

ObjectivesTo explore patients’ experiences of living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with a focus on their information and support needs.MethodsQualitative interview study involving adults diagnosed with IBD recruited through social media. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and data were analysed thematically.ResultsInterviews with 15 patients (9 females, 6 males) highlighted how misdiagnosis or hesitation to diagnose had caused frustration and anxiety. Once diagnosed, only a few participants received detailed information about IBD from their doctor. Negative experiences shared on social media caused initial anxiety, as individuals assumed that they may have a similar experience, yet online communities enabled insights into the experiences of others, helping patients adjust to living with IBD. Participants described both positive and negative impacts of living with IBD, including improved confidence and periods of anxiety.Discussion: Our findings highlight the importance of clear information and support from health professionals, as well as the benefits of online communities for ongoing support. At the point of diagnosis, patients would benefit from information about what IBD is, as well as how it may impact day to day life from doctors so that social media is not the only source of initial information about IBD.

Urinary Incontinence in Patients with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome Is Independent of Treatment Strategy

<h3>Study Objective</h3> Evaluate the level of distress secondary to urinary incontinence in patients with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome and assess if it differs based on treatment strategy. <h3>Design</h3> Cross-sectional. <h3>Setting</h3> Online support communities for patients with MRKH. <h3>Patients or Participants</h3> Patients with MRKH aged ≥18 years who consented to participate. <h3>Interventions</h3> The participants answered an online-based survey in which demographic and clinical information was collected. Additionally, a section with adapted versions of the Urinary Distress Inventory-6 (UDI-6) and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 (IIQ-7) was incorporated to evaluate for urinary symptomatology and its impact on quality of life. <h3>Measurements and Main Results</h3> 65 patients with a median age of 32 years (range: 18-63) answered the survey. 27 (41.5%) had not undergone any procedure, 24 (36.9%) underwent vaginal dilation, 8 (12.3%) McIndoe vaginoplasty and 6 (9.2%) laparoscopic Vecchietti vaginoplasty. Overall, 53.8% reported symptoms of irritative incontinence, 63% of stress incontinence and 69.2% obstructive/discomfort symptoms. Furthermore, 32.3% of patients reported that urinary symptoms impacted their emotional health to some extent. Mean scores of the UDI-6 and IIQ-7 did not differ between treatment groups, even when non-invasive and invasive procedures were compared (<i>p</i>=0.96). <h3>Conclusion</h3> In this study, MRKH patients with four different treatment strategies did not have statistically significant differences in the severity of urinary symptoms or their effect on quality of life.

LGBTQ+ individuals seeking information and support from online communities to navigate unpleasant emotions

AbstractAs part of an ongoing project, this paper investigates the LGBTQ+ individual's emotions they expressed when seeking information and support in online communities by analyzing online user generated posts in LGBT Chats &amp; Forums. Sixty‐one posts that contained emotional texts were coded using content analysis. Seven categories of emotions emerged from the analysis: fear, uncertainty, sadness, anger, shame, joy and others. The results show that emotions LGBTQ+ individuals expressed in their online requests are often unpleasant and evoked their needs of informational and emotional supports. The findings contribute to the existing knowledge of how LGBTQ+ individuals cope with unpleasant emotions and how online communities can better support sexual and gender minority people.

Utilization and Influence of Online Support Communities in Idiopathic Subglottic Stenosis Patients.

To determine the factors that shape utilization of social media-based online support communities (OSCs) and study the influence of these communities on medical decision-making in patients with Idiopathic Subglottic Stenosis (iSGS). Survey study. A survey investigating OSC use was sent to the 1,056 members of the North American Airway Collaborative (NoAAC) iSGS1000 cohort in January 2018. Responses were merged with the existing NoAAC data set containing extensive demographic data, disease-specific history, and responses to validated patient-reported outcome measures. A total of 755 individuals with iSGS and mean age of 51.8 ± 11.6 years were included (99% female, 98% white, 63% college educated) and 58% were OSC users. Younger age, female gender, and college education were each associated with OSC use (P< .05). Users spent 2.5 ± 3.3 hours per week on the platforms. Time spent on OSC was not associated with total number of prior treatments. Higher disease anxiety (FoP-Q, R= 0.26, P< .001), lower social support (MOS, R= -0.12, P= .037), and lower level of shared-decision-making with the treating physician (SDM-Q9, R= -0.16, P= .007) were weakly associated with more hours spent engaging an OSC. OSC use influenced treatment and physician choice in 35% and 26% of users, respectively. Increased time spent on OSC use was associated with increased influence on patient medical decisions regarding treatment, surgery, and physician choice (P< .05). OSC engagement is common in patients with iSGS. Disease anxiety, social support, and relationship with the physician may influence OSC utilization. More OSC engagement weakly associated with greater OSC influence on patient medical decision-making. NA. Laryngoscope, 131:1821-1827, 2021.

The Impact of Weighted Blankets on the Sleep and Sensory Experiences of Autistic Adults

Abstract Date Presented 03/27/20 Through an online survey of open-ended questions, this qualitative study explored the impact of weighted blankets on sleep and autistic adults’ sensory experiences. Autistic adults were recruited from online support communities. Qualitative data was analyzed using grounded theory until saturation was reached. Multiple researchers and data sources ensure rigor and trustworthiness of data. Participants reported benefits in sleep, sensory issues, and stress reduction from weighted blanket use. Primary Author and Speaker: Librya Green Additional Authors and Speakers: Erika Willis, Natalie Ziev, Debora Oliveira, Barbara Kornblau Contributing Authors: Scott Robertson

The mediated effects of social support in professional online communities on crowdworker engagement in micro-task crowdworking

Despite the growing popularity of crowdworking platforms, crowdworker engagement and its antecedents are still unexplored. This paper investigates how social support in professional crowdworking online communities affects worker engagement in micro-task crowdworking (MTCW). We know from organizational settings that social support is a central antecedent of work engagement, as it creates a sense of identification and enhances experienced meaningfulness of work, which in turn affects engagement. In MTCW this social antecedent is challenging as the work setting rarely provides workers with social support from requesters or platforms. However, workers frequently participate in professional crowdworking online communities that function as an alternative source of social support. So far, it remains unclear whether and how this type of social support contributes to crowdworker engagement. We argue that social support from professional crowdworking online communities enhances group identification among crowdworkers as well as experienced meaningfulness of doing crowdwork, thus fostering engagement. We conducted a two-wave survey with 181 micro-workers showing that affective social support in online communities enhances crowdworkers' identification and experienced meaningfulness, thereby indirectly affecting engagement in MTCW. We contribute to theory and practice on how to create positive work experiences on virtual platforms by highlighting the importance of professional online communities.

Examining Social Capital, Social Support, and Language Use in an Online Depression Forum: Social Network and Content Analysis.

BackgroundThe use of peer-to-peer online support groups and communities has grown into a social phenomenon. Many people use online support groups and communities to seek and provide social support. It is essential to examine how users’ participation behaviors may contribute to different outcomes.ObjectiveThis study aimed to (1) use the structural positions of online depression forum users in their reply network to predict received support and (2) examine their language use reflecting their health conditions.MethodsA total of 2061 users and their 62,274 replies posted on a depression forum from July 2004 to July 2014 were extracted using a web crawler written in Python. The content of the forum users’ posts and replies and their reply patterns were examined. A social network analysis method was used to build the reply networks of users. The computerized text analysis method was used to measure features of the forum users’ language styles.ResultsForum users’ bridging social capital (operationalized as network betweenness) was positively associated with the level of communication accommodation in their received replies (P=.04). Forum users’ bonding social capital (operationalized as network constraint) was negatively associated with the level of communication accommodation in their received replies (P<.001). The forum users’ change in their use of self-referent words and words expressing negative emotions were examined as linguistic proxies for their health conditions and mental states. The results revealed a general negative association between the number of received replies and the degree of decrease in the use of words expressing negative emotion (P=.007).ConclusionsThe structural positions of online depression forum users in the reply network are associated with different participation outcomes in the users. Thus, receiving replies can be beneficial to online depression forum users.

Developing a Society Journal Utilizing the Triad Framework

Developing a Society Journal Utilizing the Triad Framework

The value disruption of uncivil other-customers during online service recovery

PurposeCustomer complaints and service recovery via virtual customer service channels (VCSCs) present unique recovery situations unlike those commonly found in traditional complaint handling channels. Some of these distinct challenges include the presence of multiple customers during a recovery, which creates the possibility for uncivil customer-to-customer (C2C) exchanges to harm a complainant’s experience. To this end, this paper aims to explore customer- and firm-level aspects as they relate to social media complaint handling. A customer-level moderator (attitude toward complaining) and a firm-level moderator (relative promptness of the response) are examined.Design/methodology/approachData from three studies use partial least squares structural equation modeling to analyze hypothetical failure and complaining scenarios on VCSCs. Study 1A (a firm’s social media channel) and Study 1B (a firm’s online support community) investigate how a complainant’s predisposition toward complaining ultimately influences their experiential value (hedonic, pragmatic and sociability) during a virtual service recovery that includes uncivil communication from another customer. Study 2 further examines how the relative promptness of a service provider’s response either before or after uncivil C2C interactions hinders a complainant’s experiential value during the service recovery encounter.FindingsThe results show support for the influence of attitude toward complaining and the relative promptness of response as impactful to a complainant’s hedonic, pragmatic and social experience in virtual service encounters that involve one customer rudely interjecting into a complainant’s online service recovery encounter.Originality/valueThis research is one of the first to apply both customer- and firm-level moderating aspects associated with virtual service recovery encounters. The studies quantitatively assess the moderators’ influence on online dysfunctional behavior’s relationship with C2C fairness perceptions, and the subsequent experiential value a complainant receives on VCSCs. In particular, the investigation of relative promptness of a service provider’s response is a unique conceptualization that expands prior recovery studies’ focus on promptness or quickness of a recovery. The authors put forth a more prompt response that benefits the firm by purposively and symbolically closing out the encounter on VCSC, which somewhat reduces the negative effects of rude follow-up comments. This study is also novel because of the experiential focus on C2C interactions during recovery, rather than focusing on how a firm resolves a failure. In addition, this is the first service recovery study to assess multiple types of online customer service channels. Implications are put forth for service recovery theory and managers who attend to customer complaints on virtual channels.

Secret groups and open forums: Defining online support communities from the perspective of people affected by cancer.

ObjectiveA quarter of people diagnosed with cancer lack social support. Online cancer communities could allow people to connect and support one another. However, the current proliferation of online support communities constitutes a range of online environments with differing communication capacities and limitations. It is unclear what is perceived as online cancer community support and how different features can help or hinder supportive group processes. This study aimed to explore how perceived support is influenced by the different features and formats of online support environments.MethodsIn-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 23 individuals affected by a range of cancer diagnoses, including both cancer survivors and family members. Data were analysed using deductive thematic analysis guided by a constructivist epistemological perspective.FindingsOnline supportive communities were defined and differentiated by two themes. Firstly, ‘Open forums’ were identified with thematic properties which facilitated a uniquely informative environment including ‘Safety in anonymity’, ‘Perceived reliability’ and ‘Exposure and detachment’. Secondly, ‘Secret groups’ were identified with thematic properties which enhanced an emotionally supportive environment including ‘Personalised interactions’, an overt ‘Peer hierarchy’, and ‘Crossing the virtual divide’.ConclusionsProperties of groups can engender different degrees of interpersonal relations and different supportive interactions. In particular, support community designers may want to adapt key features such as anonymity, trustworthiness of websites, and the personalised nature of conversations to influence the development of supportive environments. In personalised peer-led groups, it may be prudent to provide guidance on how to reassert a positive environment if arguments break out online.

The Relationship Between Social Capital and Psychological Well-Being: the Mediating Role of Internet Marketing

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between social capital and psychological well-being through perceived social support testing social media usage as a moderator. This study is based on social capital theory, which is centred on human interaction through social support to amplify the psychological well-being. Data was collected from 368 masters' students belonging to five different campuses. Using partial least squares structural equation modelling the results reveal that perceived social support significantly mediates the link between social capital and psychological well-being, and social media usage heightens the relationship between social capital and saws social support when it is used for a social cause. Findings of the study have some practical implications on how to diagnose and prevent factors that influence the feelings of isolation and loneliness in online interactions. The results are useful for digital media users and managers in higher education distance learning institutions since social interaction might indirectly benefit virtual university students' psychological well-being by increasing the perceived social support followed by social capital. Researchers agree that using social media may help to improve students' levels of life quality if educational administrators can develop novel applications that pay close attention to individuals' social and moral support. As such, social media designers could design more entertaining features to efficiently stimulate students and other users to adapt and meet their needs for social interactions. This research has established that a simple social conversation forum app should be launched by any virtual university to bring their students together where they could feel a sense of belonging and connectedness with a slice of social support. Moreover, teachers should also have a separate informal blog where they could communicate with their students each week to overcome the lack of face-to-face interaction. The administration of virtual universities has to increase the number of face-to-face gathering and seminars, i.e. it should be once in a semester rather than once in the entire study program. It will motivate the students by making references and relations with their peers. By spreading this knowledge, the students may get out of the state of isolation that will improve their performance. By demonstrating this in the higher education sector, virtual universities could reduce the service staff more intelligently through AI, and delay in response time (e.g., communication between student-to-student and student-to-teacher) could also be removed efficiently. Applying this model in virtual university settings could bring local and international students to obtain more significant social support, consequently leading to amplified psychological well-being. Keywords psychological well-being, social capital, internet marketing, social media usage, perceived social support online communities, e-learning, virtual engagement, social ties, online social interaction, loneliness, and isolation.

Investigating relationships among cancer survivors' engagement in an online support community, social support perceptions, well-being, and moderating effects of existing (offline) social support.

Socially supportive relationships help cancer survivors cope with their diagnosis and may improve quality of life; however, many survivors report unmet support and information needs. Online communities of survivors may address these needs, but research on their benefits have been equivocal. This cross-sectional, self-report study investigated relationships among cancer survivors' level of engagement in an online survivor community (The American Cancer Society Cancer Survivors Network®; CSN), perceptions of emotional/informational support available from online communities ("online social support"), well-being, and moderating effects of "offline social support." Participants were 1255 registered users of the CSN who completed surveys between 2013 and 2014. Three types of engagement with the CSN-social/communal, interpersonal communication, and informational/search engagement-were identified through principal components analysis. Regression analyses examined hypotheses. More frequent social/communal and interpersonal communication engagement were associated with increased online social support (p < .0001), and the relationship between interpersonal communication engagement and online social support was strongest for survivors reporting lower offline social support (interaction β = - .35, p < .001). Greater online social support was associated with increased well-being, but only among survivors reporting low offline social support (interaction β = - .35, p < .0001). Engagement in online survivor communities may increase support perceptions that promote well-being, but benefits may accrue more to survivors reporting low offline social support. Newly diagnosed cancer survivors, particularly those with unmet emotional/informational support needs, should be given the opportunity to communicate with other survivors through online survivor support networks.