Selbsthilfe aus dem Cyberspace?

Abstract

Our study reveals that the social network is very important for patients coping with bipolar affective disorders. We infer that the main interest in participating in online forums for bipolar affective disorders is to share emotions. Attention to those aspects should be given also in psychoeducative programs.

Internet-based psychological interventions for bipolar disorder: Review of the present and insights into the future

“…The support provided from patients' peers or coaches in the discussed intervention programs mostly resulted in higher rates of acceptance, engagement and retention (Nicholas et al, 2010;Todd et al, 2013Todd et al, , 2014. This is consistent with the current evidence related to the standalone online support forums and discussion groups for a wide range of mental disorders including bipolar disorder (Bauer et al, 2013;Campos et al, 2014;Highton-Williamson et al, 2014;Schielein et al, 2008). However, the existing projects and studies greatly differ with respect to the applied technical and methodological principles, which make the direct comparisons of these programs challenging.…”

How Patients Contribute to an Online Psychoeducation Forum for Bipolar Disorder: A Virtual Participant Observation Study

“…As an adaptable methodology appropriate for the study of online communities and cultures, “virtual participant observation” [ 20 ] (also referred to as “online ethnography”, “netnography”, and “virtual ethnography”) is increasingly used within many disciplines; including sociology, philosophy, psychology, and economics [ 17 , 19 , 21 , 22 ]. To reflect the values of ethnography, proponents of virtual participant observation state the importance of providing a Geertzian “thick description” [ 14 ] through immersing the researcher in the life of the online community or culture [ 8 , 9 ]. This immersion in the life of the community may be achieved through directly participating in an online forum or through combining different research methods [ 15 ], to include interviews or focus groups, for example.…”

“…Although there is an understanding of trends in seeking health information on the Internet in broad terms, research upon the use of online discussion forums for people with bipolar disorder is minimal [ 1 , 14 , 15 ]. A German study analyzed two forums for patients with bipolar disorder, examining 1200 contributions of 135 users, according to “fields of interest” and “self-help mechanisms” [ 14 ]. The authors found that patients mostly discussed their social networks, symptoms of the illness, and medication, primarily in order to share their emotions [ 14 ].…”

“…A German study analyzed two forums for patients with bipolar disorder, examining 1200 contributions of 135 users, according to “fields of interest” and “self-help mechanisms” [ 14 ]. The authors found that patients mostly discussed their social networks, symptoms of the illness, and medication, primarily in order to share their emotions [ 14 ]. They also identified disclosure, group cohesion, empathy, and support to be the main self-help mechanisms [ 14 ].…”

“…The authors found that patients mostly discussed their social networks, symptoms of the illness, and medication, primarily in order to share their emotions [ 14 ]. They also identified disclosure, group cohesion, empathy, and support to be the main self-help mechanisms [ 14 ].…”