Effectiveness
Studies have found that there are benefits of both online support and face to face support because they both support different aspects of an individual. One breast cancer study done in Japan found that those individuals that used both online support and face to face support received more support than those individuals that only participated in one or the other. This particular study looked at five different aspects of support. They are emotional support/ helper therapy, emotional expression, conflict, advice, and insight/ universality (Setoyama, Yazmazaki, Nakayama, 2010).
Some of the benefits to online support are Individuals are better able to emotionally express themselves due to online anonymity (Setoyama, Yazmazaki, Nakayama, 2010). This online anonymity gets rid of those external factors like facial expressions that may make it difficult for an individual to express themselves in person. They may see the other persons response and quickly clam up and not express their feelings (Shim, Cappella, & Han 2011). It is also easier for individuals to find advice. Individuals can post questions and they can be answered by a wide variety of people. Plus having your questions answered from the comfort of your own home is always a plus (Setoyama, Yazmazaki, Nakayama, 2010). A study done by the University of Zurich located in Switzerland found online therapy more effective than face to face consultation. Not only were the individuals that used online consultation less likely to feel depressed after therapy they were also more likely to stay feeling good about themselves in further in the future (Wagner, Horn, Maercker, 2013). There are also many benefits to face to face support as well. When participating in face to face therapy or support individuals received more emotional support and helper therapy as well as insight and universality (Setoyama, Yazmazaki, Nakayama, 2010). They receive more emotional support because they are able to connect with the person or people they are getting support from. The individual seeking support will get immediate feedback and those external factors be positive in this respect. The individual seeking support will be able to tell from the reactions and expressions of the person or people giving support that they care. Also the immediate feedback is also very likely which can be appealing to the individual seeking support. Also overtime individuals were able to establish a closer relationship in face-to-face support (Setoyama, Yazmazaki, Nakayama, 2010).
As one can see there are great benefits and also some negatives to both online support and face to face support. This this study suggests receiving support from both online resources and peer resources simultaneous thus receiving the most support possible (Setoyama, Yazmazaki, Nakayama, 2010). Remember to start slow and only do what is comfortable and if you find that the support is helping continue, but don't be afraid to look into different types of support such as online because it may have benefits you've never even imagined. CANCER SUPPORT
Another factor that was found to determine the effectiveness of online support groups was leadership type. In a study done by Lieberman (2008), they looked at the effects of peer facilitated and professional facilitated support and disease type on the effectiveness of online support groups. This study specifically looked at the effects on support groups for patients with cancer and Parkinson's disease. They looked at the moderators of positive and negative emotion expression to determine effectiveness. They found that leadership but not disease type played a significant role when looking at positive and negative emotions expressed over OSGs (Lieberman, 2008). The expression of positive emotions was high for patients suffering from cancer in professionally facilitated support groups. Positive emotions in the peer lead support groups was low for those with cancer. Those suffering from Parkinson's however had moderate positive emotion expression in both peer and professionally lead OSGs. The expression of negative emotion was high for both groups when facilitation was by a professional and low when facilitated by peers (Lieberman, 2008). What this shows is that if you seek support groups it may be best to look into the type of leadership the support group offers before joining a group.
Some of the benefits to online support are Individuals are better able to emotionally express themselves due to online anonymity (Setoyama, Yazmazaki, Nakayama, 2010). This online anonymity gets rid of those external factors like facial expressions that may make it difficult for an individual to express themselves in person. They may see the other persons response and quickly clam up and not express their feelings (Shim, Cappella, & Han 2011). It is also easier for individuals to find advice. Individuals can post questions and they can be answered by a wide variety of people. Plus having your questions answered from the comfort of your own home is always a plus (Setoyama, Yazmazaki, Nakayama, 2010). A study done by the University of Zurich located in Switzerland found online therapy more effective than face to face consultation. Not only were the individuals that used online consultation less likely to feel depressed after therapy they were also more likely to stay feeling good about themselves in further in the future (Wagner, Horn, Maercker, 2013). There are also many benefits to face to face support as well. When participating in face to face therapy or support individuals received more emotional support and helper therapy as well as insight and universality (Setoyama, Yazmazaki, Nakayama, 2010). They receive more emotional support because they are able to connect with the person or people they are getting support from. The individual seeking support will get immediate feedback and those external factors be positive in this respect. The individual seeking support will be able to tell from the reactions and expressions of the person or people giving support that they care. Also the immediate feedback is also very likely which can be appealing to the individual seeking support. Also overtime individuals were able to establish a closer relationship in face-to-face support (Setoyama, Yazmazaki, Nakayama, 2010).
As one can see there are great benefits and also some negatives to both online support and face to face support. This this study suggests receiving support from both online resources and peer resources simultaneous thus receiving the most support possible (Setoyama, Yazmazaki, Nakayama, 2010). Remember to start slow and only do what is comfortable and if you find that the support is helping continue, but don't be afraid to look into different types of support such as online because it may have benefits you've never even imagined. CANCER SUPPORT
Another factor that was found to determine the effectiveness of online support groups was leadership type. In a study done by Lieberman (2008), they looked at the effects of peer facilitated and professional facilitated support and disease type on the effectiveness of online support groups. This study specifically looked at the effects on support groups for patients with cancer and Parkinson's disease. They looked at the moderators of positive and negative emotion expression to determine effectiveness. They found that leadership but not disease type played a significant role when looking at positive and negative emotions expressed over OSGs (Lieberman, 2008). The expression of positive emotions was high for patients suffering from cancer in professionally facilitated support groups. Positive emotions in the peer lead support groups was low for those with cancer. Those suffering from Parkinson's however had moderate positive emotion expression in both peer and professionally lead OSGs. The expression of negative emotion was high for both groups when facilitation was by a professional and low when facilitated by peers (Lieberman, 2008). What this shows is that if you seek support groups it may be best to look into the type of leadership the support group offers before joining a group.
So far this site has looked at OSGs for those that have somatic illnesses seeking support for emotional and psychological issues that arise due to the disease. Online therapy for those with psychological disorders has been proven effective throughout research as well. In a study done by Sanchez-Ortiz et al. (2011) looked at the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) online to help with bulimia. There were two participants in the study that did not feel as though online support was for them. That being said they did acknowledge that they learned some strategies for dealing with their condition that they planned on using even after ceasing online treatment. The main issue that most participants had with this program was a large overcoming bulimia title at the top of every page. Being that discrete treatment was one of the big draws to this type of help this title was disliked by many. To increase effectiveness the designers of these programs need to remember that many people are using online treatment in order to privately take care of their condition.
In comparison to other forms of treatment, Sanchez-Ortiz et al. (2011) found that computer based care did well in the case of bulimia. Counseling was found to be too unstructured to be truly effective. It allowed those involved to simply put things off and plan on taking action the next day. Online treatment demanded that someone complete the necessary items before they can more on to the next step. This rigid structure was seen as a positive by most participants. General practitioners were seen as very intimidating to many participants. Participants reported being either to nervous/embarrassed to tell their doctor or that they felt like their condition was too mild to be taken up with a doctor. Many of the participants that did bring it up with their doctor felt as though they were not taken seriously and subsequently not given the care needed. In situations were doctors tend to downplay the condition or think that it is not very serious online care can be a good option. It allows an individual to take charge of their care and get it started on their own terms. In cases of very serious immediately life threatening conditions web based treatment would not be the answer, but in cases where an individual has the time to change a condition without putting their health in danger web based treatment can be the answer. In reference to when this treatment would have been best Sanchez-Ortiz et al.(2011) stated "Most participants would have preferred to receive this treatment at an earlier stage in their life, generally, when their ED was starting."
Sanchez-Ortiz et al. (2011) found that online care was seen as most effective when it had a human element to it. Participants were given an e-mail address to report weekly to or to ask questions to. This was the e-mail of someone with a background in treating this disease. This human aspect added a lot of motivation and legitimacy to the program and participants liked this aspect and would have liked more of it. At the end of the study all participants were asked if they would suggest this type of treatment to someone else suffering from the same condition and all reported that they would. This goes to show that internet treatment is best used as a mixture of human communication and online care.
In comparison to other forms of treatment, Sanchez-Ortiz et al. (2011) found that computer based care did well in the case of bulimia. Counseling was found to be too unstructured to be truly effective. It allowed those involved to simply put things off and plan on taking action the next day. Online treatment demanded that someone complete the necessary items before they can more on to the next step. This rigid structure was seen as a positive by most participants. General practitioners were seen as very intimidating to many participants. Participants reported being either to nervous/embarrassed to tell their doctor or that they felt like their condition was too mild to be taken up with a doctor. Many of the participants that did bring it up with their doctor felt as though they were not taken seriously and subsequently not given the care needed. In situations were doctors tend to downplay the condition or think that it is not very serious online care can be a good option. It allows an individual to take charge of their care and get it started on their own terms. In cases of very serious immediately life threatening conditions web based treatment would not be the answer, but in cases where an individual has the time to change a condition without putting their health in danger web based treatment can be the answer. In reference to when this treatment would have been best Sanchez-Ortiz et al.(2011) stated "Most participants would have preferred to receive this treatment at an earlier stage in their life, generally, when their ED was starting."
Sanchez-Ortiz et al. (2011) found that online care was seen as most effective when it had a human element to it. Participants were given an e-mail address to report weekly to or to ask questions to. This was the e-mail of someone with a background in treating this disease. This human aspect added a lot of motivation and legitimacy to the program and participants liked this aspect and would have liked more of it. At the end of the study all participants were asked if they would suggest this type of treatment to someone else suffering from the same condition and all reported that they would. This goes to show that internet treatment is best used as a mixture of human communication and online care.
So far this site has looked at OSGs for those that have somatic illnesses seeking support for emotional and psychological issues that arise due to the disease. Online therapy for those with psychological disorders has been proven effective throughout research as well. In a study done by Sanchez-Ortiz et al. (2011) looked at the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) online to help with bulimia. There were two participants in the study that did not feel as though online support was for them. That being said they did acknowledge that they learned some strategies for dealing with their condition that they planned on using even after ceasing online treatment. The main issue that most participants had with this program was a large overcoming bulimia title at the top of every page. Being that discrete treatment was one of the big draws to this type of help this title was disliked by many. To increase effectiveness the designers of these programs need to remember that many people are using online treatment in order to privately take care of their condition.
In comparison to other forms of treatment, Sanchez-Ortiz et al. (2011) found that computer based care did well in the case of bulimia. Counseling was found to be too unstructured to be truly effective. It allowed those involved to simply put things off and plan on taking action the next day. Online treatment demanded that someone complete the necessary items before they can more on to the next step. This rigid structure was seen as a positive by most participants. General practitioners were seen as very intimidating to many participants. Participants reported being either to nervous/embarrassed to tell their doctor or that they felt like their condition was too mild to be taken up with a doctor. Many of the participants that did bring it up with their doctor felt as though they were not taken seriously and subsequently not given the care needed. In situations were doctors tend to downplay the condition or think that it is not very serious online care can be a good option. It allows an individual to take charge of their care and get it started on their own terms. In cases of very serious immediately life threatening conditions web based treatment would not be the answer, but in cases where an individual has the time to change a condition without putting their health in danger web based treatment can be the answer. In reference to when this treatment would have been best Sanchez-Ortiz et al.(2011) stated "Most participants would have preferred to receive this treatment at an earlier stage in their life, generally, when their ED was starting."
Sanchez-Ortiz et al. (2011) found that online care was seen as most effective when it had a human element to it. Participants were given an e-mail address to report weekly to or to ask questions to. This was the e-mail of someone with a background in treating this disease. This human aspect added a lot of motivation and legitimacy to the program and participants liked this aspect and would have liked more of it. At the end of the study all participants were asked if they would suggest this type of treatment to someone else suffering from the same condition and all reported that they would. This goes to show that internet treatment is best used as a mixture of human communication and online care.
In comparison to other forms of treatment, Sanchez-Ortiz et al. (2011) found that computer based care did well in the case of bulimia. Counseling was found to be too unstructured to be truly effective. It allowed those involved to simply put things off and plan on taking action the next day. Online treatment demanded that someone complete the necessary items before they can more on to the next step. This rigid structure was seen as a positive by most participants. General practitioners were seen as very intimidating to many participants. Participants reported being either to nervous/embarrassed to tell their doctor or that they felt like their condition was too mild to be taken up with a doctor. Many of the participants that did bring it up with their doctor felt as though they were not taken seriously and subsequently not given the care needed. In situations were doctors tend to downplay the condition or think that it is not very serious online care can be a good option. It allows an individual to take charge of their care and get it started on their own terms. In cases of very serious immediately life threatening conditions web based treatment would not be the answer, but in cases where an individual has the time to change a condition without putting their health in danger web based treatment can be the answer. In reference to when this treatment would have been best Sanchez-Ortiz et al.(2011) stated "Most participants would have preferred to receive this treatment at an earlier stage in their life, generally, when their ED was starting."
Sanchez-Ortiz et al. (2011) found that online care was seen as most effective when it had a human element to it. Participants were given an e-mail address to report weekly to or to ask questions to. This was the e-mail of someone with a background in treating this disease. This human aspect added a lot of motivation and legitimacy to the program and participants liked this aspect and would have liked more of it. At the end of the study all participants were asked if they would suggest this type of treatment to someone else suffering from the same condition and all reported that they would. This goes to show that internet treatment is best used as a mixture of human communication and online care.
In Chung's, (2013) article talked about the benefits that online social interaction (OSGs) bring to patients and some unique advantages that OSGs bring to patients over offline social interaction. OSGs help the user feel empowered through the processes of sharing emotions,reading others’ experiences, building social relationships, and acquiring information and skills related to illness management and treatment. Patients also recover and obtain a sense of normalcy by learning how others have coped with similar issues. OSGs can also be convenient to those with limited time and mobility. People who are unlikely or unable to participate in face-to-face support groups can benefit from participation in OSGs. The expectation to reciprocate received support also decreases in OSGs because support is provided and exchanged by many instead of a few Unlike offline support groups, OSGs transcend geographic boundaries. Those with rare medical conditions can easily locate people facing similar situations. This study looked to find the potential factors that for why some individuals choose social interaction in online support groups over offline support groups. In the online survey that was conducted with current users of health-related OSGs, it was found that people who were dissatisfied with the offline support they were getting were more likely to prefer social interaction in OSGs. The findings were greater in people who built deeper relationships in OSGs. This study also found that people with less support offline consider and accept the support that they receive online more than people who receive larger amount of offline support. So for people who don't have a strong support network, OSGs can help to make a weak support network into a strong virtual support network with the new social relationships that they build in these OSGs. The study also talked about how individuals could use OSGs to simply go and gain more information and be more aware about their health condition (Chung, J., 2013).
In conclusion yes online support has been found to be a very effective form of support for many reasons whether it be the ridged schedule that one must log on in order to continue receiving support or it may be the insight or universality they receive. Whatever the reason one decides to choose online support remember this; as stated above studies have found that it is best to receive both online and face to face support because this way the individual is receiving a great amount of support which will hopefully help facilitate a quick and speedy recovery.
In conclusion yes online support has been found to be a very effective form of support for many reasons whether it be the ridged schedule that one must log on in order to continue receiving support or it may be the insight or universality they receive. Whatever the reason one decides to choose online support remember this; as stated above studies have found that it is best to receive both online and face to face support because this way the individual is receiving a great amount of support which will hopefully help facilitate a quick and speedy recovery.