“You Have to be Positive.” Social Support Processes of an Online Support Group for Men Living with HIV

Peterson, Jennifer

doi:10.1080/10510970903260368

Cited by 30 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Support groups that meet online are increasingly being used (Peterson, 2009). One participant reported that he lived in a small community and in a “self-imposed exile.” He noted that most support groups in his community were primarily gay (and he is straight), so that a chat room provided support from peers to whom he could more closely relate:…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Forms and Functions of Peer Social Support for People Living With HIV

Peterson

Rintamaki

Brashers

et al. 2012

Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care

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Peers may be important sources of coping assistance, but their impact can be better understood if we examine their influence across various contexts. Although social support studies focused on people living with HIV have examined peer support in various contexts, they do not comprehensively account for situations in which peer support might be provided. The specific aims of this study are to (a) describe the various forms and functions of peer support for people living with HIV and (b) validate the Dennis (2003) concept analysis of peer support within health contexts. Results indicate that peer support is a potentially important adjunct to clinical care for enhancing coping skills, thereby improving the psychosocial functioning of people living with HIV. It is important to (a) assess patient access to peer support, (b) provide opportunities for peer support in the clinical setting, and (c) enhance disclosure and support-seeking skills to facilitate this benefit.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Forms and Functions of Peer Social Support for People Living With HIV

Peterson

Rintamaki

Brashers

et al. 2012

Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care

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“…Members discussed and advocated varied approaches to raising awareness about NMDs which may be particularly important due to the rarity of many of these conditions. Political activism has been noted in other health-related online support groups [58] and collective action has been identified as a potentially empowering outcome of participation [54]. In this case, collective action was realised through participation in surveys and protests, sharing information, and writing letters to Government representatives that raised the profile of NMDs beyond the group.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of an online support group for neuromuscular disorders: a thematic analysis of message postings

Meade

Buchanan

Coulson

2017

Disability and Rehabilitation

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Purpose: People affected by neuromuscular disorders can experience adverse psychosocial consequences and difficulties accessing information and support. Online support groups provide new opportunities for peer support. The aim of this study was to understand how contributors used the message board function of a newly-available neuromuscular disorders online support group. Message postings (n=1,951) from the first five months of the message board of a newly-formed online support group for neuromuscular disorders hosted by a charitable organisation were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Members created a sense of community through disclosing personal information, connecting with people with similar illness experiences or interests, welcoming others, and sharing aspirations for the development of a resourceful community. Experiences, emotional reactions and support were shared in relation to: delayed diagnosis; symptom interpretation; illness management and progression; the isolating impact of rare disorders; and the influence of social and political factors on illness experiences. Methods: Conclusions:This study provided a novel insight into individuals' experiences of accessing a newly-available online support group for rare conditions hosted by a charitable organisation. The findings highlight how the online support group provided an important peer support environment for members to connect with others, exchange information and support, and engender discussion on political and social issues unique to living with often-rare neuromuscular disorders. Online support groups may therefore provide an important and easily accessible support outlet for people with neuromuscular disorders as well as a platform for empowering members to raise awareness about the impact of living with these conditions. Further research is needed to examine member motivations for using such groups and any effects of participation in greater detail.

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“…Although studying support groups in isolation is good for understanding how a group works, studying support in this way does not take into account an individual's social network that exists beyond the borders of the group. Studying isolated support groups is especially common in online research, where it is perhaps easier for researchers to examine existing postings on message boards than to survey or interview support group members about their experiences with support, both online and offline (for example, Peterson, 2009;Rodham et al, 2009). Shaw et al (2006) examined social support messages in a closed online support system created specifically for their study.…”

Section: Deficiencies In Social Support Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

The social support model for people with chronic health conditions: A proposal for future research

Frohlich

2014

Soc Theory Health

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Social support is an important component of health care for people with chronic health conditions. Previous research has described the types of messages created in support groups and found evidence for positive health outcomes of social support. Social support has been conceptualized in myriad ways, however, making it difficult to have a unified body of research. I propose a model to explain how the social support process works for people with chronic health conditions. I articulate what facets of the social support process need more study, and how the support environment should be conceptualized. Researchers should study a person's entire support environment, rather than isolated support groups, as research has often been limited to in the past, taking into account the particular issues of any chronic illness.

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“You Have to be Positive.” Social Support Processes of an Online Support Group for Men Living with HIV

Cited by 30 publications

References 32 publications

The Forms and Functions of Peer Social Support for People Living With HIV

The Forms and Functions of Peer Social Support for People Living With HIV

The use of an online support group for neuromuscular disorders: a thematic analysis of message postings

The social support model for people with chronic health conditions: A proposal for future research

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