Communication patterns in an on-line mutual help group for problem drinkers

Abstract

This study analyzed 376 randomly selected messages (known as “posts”) to investigate the features, patterns, and functions of communication in an on‐line mutual help group (OMHG) for problem drinkers. Consistent with previous OMHG research, the most prevalent form of communication was providing self‐disclosure, followed by providing information/advice. As in face‐to‐face groups, conflict was infrequent and communication was generally warm and supportive. Consistent with previous findings of gender atypicality in OMHG participation, although most problem drinkers are male, 72% of posts for which the author's gender could be identified were written by women. No gender differences were found in communication patterns. The findings suggest that OMHGs may be particularly appealing to individuals with minority status in a problem‐focused community. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Supportive communication, sense of virtual community and health outcomes in online infertility groups

“…Indeed, in their work on sense of community (in FtF settings) McMillan and Chavis (1986) describe a shared emotional connection between members as "the definitive element for true community" (p.14). Because the SOVC construct is based on the FtF sense of community construct [6,33,43], it should not surprise us to see the importance of emotional communication for a SOVC . The current findings further underscore these emotional underpinnings of SOVC, and interestingly, suggest that the exchange of information may in fact decrease SOVC.…”

“…Research studies that have systematically coded message postings in virtual health communities indicate that sharing emotional support and information support are two of the most common ways in which community members communicate with one another. Emotional support includes expressions of empathy and encouragement related to health concerns [33], while informational support can involve providing facts, health-related sources or references (such as books or websites), advice, and suggested courses of action or treatment [33].…”

“…To illustrate, the majority of communication in a virtual community for disabled persons focused on emotional support [8]. Also among problem drinkers who participated in a virtual community, almost 30% of messages focused on providing emotional support to other community members (Klaw et al, 2000). Interestingly, some evidence indicates that the emphasis on emotional versus information support may vary depending on the type of health issue focused upon; for instance, one study found that members of breast cancer virtual discussion groups were more likely to seek and provide emotional support, while members of a prostrate cancer discussion group were more likely to seek and provide informational support [39].…”

Detecting Recovery Problems Just in Time: Application of Automated Linguistic Analysis and Supervised Machine Learning to an Online Substance Abuse Forum (Preprint)

“…Such forums typically involve anonymity or pseudo-anonymity, allowing for candid disclosure of personal and stigmatized issues and experiences [25]. Content analyses show that participants in SUDs forums disclose a variety of recovery challenges, prompting exchange of information and emotional support [26][27][28].…”

Contextos comunitários favoráveis ao bem-estar

“…Numa pesquisa posterior com a mesma organização, Roberts et al (1999) identificou que o recebimento de ajuda estava relacionado com a adaptação sobretudo nos indivíduos que experimentaram um elevado nível de integração grupal. Pesquisas recentes examinaram a natureza das nomeações para grupos de apoio mútuo on-line para depressão (Salem et al, 1997) e problemas de álcool (Klaw et al, 2000), contudo estes estudos não relacionam as interacções on-line aos resultados individuais. As novas formas de comunicação significam que os contextos "comunitários" estão a afastar-se das comunidades geográficas baseadas nas zonas de residência.…”