Journal Facts

Journal
International Journal of Self-Help and Self-Care
ISSN
1091-2851 (print) 1541-4450 (electronic)
Volume
5
Issue
4
Date
1/1/2006

Article Facts

Title
The Process and Content of an Online Support Group for College Students with Psychological Problems
DOI
10.2190/SH.5.4.f
Authors
  • Ed Freeman
  • Chris Barker
  • Nancy Pistrang
Pages
337-351
Online Date
09/22/2011

Article Links

The Process and Content of an Online Support Group for College Students with Psychological Problems

Ed Freeman
Chris Barker
Nancy Pistrang

DOI: 10.2190/SH.5.4.f

Abstract

This study examines the usage of a website providing both information pages and an online support group for UK college students experiencing psychological or academic problems. It extends a previous paper (Freeman, Barker, & Pistrang, 2008) which reports on outcome data. Participants (N = 238) were given access to a website containing information pages about common student emotional and academic problems, and some (N = 142) were also given access to an online mutual support group. Content analysis of postings and monitoring of web page hit rates showed that participants accessed the information pages and online support group for help with a diverse range of both academic and emotional problems. The processes of the online support group were similar to those reported in previous studies of online support groups for other psychological problem types: the most common verbal responses were Self-Disclosure, Providing Information, and Providing Emotional Support. The findings suggest that online support plus information can be a viable method of facilitating self-help for psychological problems in the college student population.

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