Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a serious chronic illness that affects 1 in 200 people in the United States with the majority of new cases of IBD diagnosed in young people under the age of 35. Despite the growing number of people who are diagnosed each year, the consequences of health-related stigma faced by young people grappling with the effects of IBD are understudied. This experimental investigation explored the existence of enacted stigma among college students, a population that faces many social and psychological challenges due to the added emotional stresses brought about by the transition from high school and adolescence to college and adulthood. Results indicate that enacted stigma among college students toward other students with IBD decreases when disclosure of the disease is present. Results also suggest that greater knowledge of the nature and symptoms of IBD positively correlates to decreased stigma.

Background Social media is frequently used to discuss health topics among users. Reddit is a popular social media platform particularly suit for discussion about chronic illness because of its anonymity that allow users to express uninhibited feelings. Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) represent a chronic painful disorder which has been rarely studied in terms of social media discussion. Objectives By exploring how Reddit is used to discuss about TMD, we aim to raise awareness to clinicians involved in TMD management about the online discussion on this topic. Methods A quantitative content analysis was performed on a pool of most relevant threads and comments about the topic “TMJ” on Reddit. Following a codebook, two independent coders assessed multiple clinically relevant variables. A third subject resolved eventual discrepancies. Results Reddit is mostly used by subjects with TMD asking for advice to other users about symptoms and treatment modalities. The most discussed causes of TMD were bruxism and dental occlusion, and the most discussed treatments were oral appliance therapy and complementary and alternative treatments. The most favourable opinions about treatment modalities were for self‐care and behavioural therapy while the least favourable opinions were for surgery and irreversible dental treatments. Conclusions Reddit represents an excellent data‐mining platform to retrieve valuable information about health‐related discussion by the community. Our findings suggest an overall alignment of such discussion with evidence‐based science about TMD; however, to further increase this trend, we encourage healthcare provider to take an active role in the digital spread of scientifically valid information.

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