Temporalities of mental distress: digital immediacy and the meaning of ‘crisis’ in online support

Abstract

The Internet is increasingly used to seek support by those suffering with mental distress (Bauman, S. and Rivers, I. Mental Health and the Digital Age. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan; 2015). Drawing on research on a major online peer support forum, we analyse discussions around acute distress, self‐harm and suicide. The paper argues that new temporalities of mental health ‘crisis’ are emerging through the intersection of the immediacy of online support, the chronicity of underlying distress and the punctuated nature of professional support. Online support adds a layer of temporal immediacy that does not traditionally feature in other forms of support (e.g. professional in‐person services). This shifts the meaning of a mental health ‘crisis’ from acute to processual, and can lead to definitions of ‘crisis’ being used when not desired nor necessarily accurate. By attending to the layering of temporalities at the intersections of professional in‐person, and online support, we demonstrate how parameters of crisis support are set – by whom, for whom and in relation to whose bodies. This has implications for professional clinical practice internationally in relation to the increased digitisation of support and the meanings of ‘crisis’ that emerge.

Experiences and implications of smartphone apps for depression and anxiety

“…As questions such as ‘am I distressed’ or ‘what is it that's specifically making me feel like this’ (P11) are delegated to apps, the ability of these technologies to shape the answers – the conceptualisation of mental health and illness – increases. This echoes other studies that have highlighted how experiences of mental health are constituted through disruptions to connectivities and temporalities that are created by digital technologies (Tucker and Lavis ). These app‐relations can thus contribute to what some have termed a neurobiological reductionist framework (Minowsky and Rose , Pickersgill ), failing to recognise or address the contribution of social adversity or environmental factors on states of distress, instead favouring individual behaviour change or short‐term distractions.…”

“…Secondly, apps can be involved in (re)configuring connectivity – that is, shaping the pathways and journeys taken through (mental) health and healthcare experiences. Work here has highlighted how the use of digital technologies can influence and dissect boundaries between formal and informal support and can provide a ‘digital immediacy’ with affective implications for people's affective experiences of care (Tucker and Lavis ). These contradictions play out in the day‐to‐day use of digital technologies, including smartphone apps used by people diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorders.…”

The Impact of COVID-19 on Young People’s Mental Health in the UK: Key Insights from Social Media Using Online Ethnography

“…In the UK 97% of children aged 5–15 went online in 2020, an increase on 2019 [ 15 ]. It is known that social media can offer a space for people to turn in moments of distress and seek support for mental health issues [ 16 , 17 ]. This has been documented amongst young people [ 18 ] and also during COVID-19, such as in relation to suicidality [ 19 ].…”

Platform encounters: A study of digitised patient follow‐up in HIV care

“…However, such functionalities have significant organisational implications in terms of workflows and resources and were positioned as optional and for clinics to decide if and when they are ready for implementation. Platforms, can enable operations to be always‐there and thus the potential for immediate support at any time and outside pre‐booked clinical appointments (Tucker & Lavis, 2019). This, however, requires organisational efforts and resources to be adopted in practices and wider care infrastructures (Langstrup et al, 2013).…”