A systematic review exploring how young people use online forums for support around mental health issues

Hanley, Terry; Prescott, Julie; Gomez, Katalin Ujhelyi

doi:10.1080/09638237.2019.1630725

Cited by 49 publications

(82 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…The recent UK All Party Parliamentary Enquiry into Young People’s Mental Health (RSPH, 2019) acknowledged the emotional support and sense of community and belonging that social media can engender. This has been shown in relation to mental health (Hanley et al, 2019; Naslund, Aschbrenner, Marsch, & Bartels, 2016; Tucker & Lavis, 2019) , with groups formed around a range of conditions, such as eating disorders (Lavis, 2016). It has been suggested that social media offers a space where people can gain a sense of belonging (Brown et al, 2018; Dyson et al, 2016), share their experiences (Rodham, Gavin & Miles, 2007; Whitlock, Powers & Eckenrode, 2006), reduce feelings of isolation (Ziebland & Wyke, 2012) and challenge stigma around mental health diagnoses (Webb, Burns, & Collin, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

#Online harms or benefits? An ethnographic analysis of the positives and negatives of peer‐support around self‐harm on social media

Lavis

Winter

2020

Child Psychology Psychiatry

122

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Background: There is emerging evidence of the potentially detrimental impact of social media on young people's mental health. Against this background, online self-harm content has been a recent focus of concern across academia, policy and the media. It has been argued to encourage or even cause acts such as self-cutting through mechanisms of contagion. However, little is known about why a young person might engage with such content or about its impact on behaviour or well-being. Methods: Online ethnographic observation of interactions around selfharm on Twitter, Reddit and Instagram: collection and analysis of 10,169 original posts and 36,934 comments, both written and pictorial, at two time-points in 2018 and 2019. Ten in-depth semi-structured interviews exploring engagements with self-harm content on social media. Results: Our data show that peer support is the central component of online interactions around self-harm. Young people accessing such content are likely to already be self-harming; they may turn to social media to understand, and seek help for, their actions and feelings in a context of offline stigma and service support gaps. This paper engages with the mechanisms, complexities and impact of this peer-support, reflecting on the benefits and dangers to caring for oneself and others through social media. Conclusions: Self-harm content is a fraught issue at the centre of current debates around risks and opportunities for child and adolescent mental health in the digital age. Whilst the importance of supporting young people's online safety is clear, moves to eradicate self-harm content must be undertaken with caution so as not to cause unintentional harm. Our research highlights a need to think beyond a model of contagion, instead attending to other mechanisms of harm and benefit. In so doing, it challenges prevailing attitudes towards online communication about self-harm and accepted approaches to managing this.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

#Online harms or benefits? An ethnographic analysis of the positives and negatives of peer‐support around self‐harm on social media

Lavis

Winter

2020

Child Psychology Psychiatry

122

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“…Health forums are a known digital format, where participants may remain anonymous and discuss various topics and share personal experiences. The purpose of the health forums is to engage the readers in a discussion and disseminate information (26). It is, therefore, possible that girls exchange their experiences with use of different menstrual cycle tracking apps on the forum boards.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High School Girls and Smartphone Applications to Track Menstrual Cycle

Gazibara

Cakic

et al. 2020

Central Eur J Paed

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Objective: Tracking of periods is recommended to adolescent girls because of their irregular menstrual cycle and longer cycle length compared to adult women. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of use of apps to track menstrual cycle among high school girls from Belgrade, Serbia, as well as to define factors associated with their use. Methods: A study was carried out in December 2016 and January 2017. The study included 394 high school girls from Belgrade, Serbia, who used smartphones. The students were asked to fill in an anonymous questionnaire about socio-demographic characteristics, use of online platforms and smartphone apps as well as online health (e-health) literacy scale (eHEALS). Results: The prevalence of tracking menstrual cycle via smartphone apps was 29.7%. The multivariate logistic regression model showed that studying humanities-languages school program, using Wikipedia, websites run by physicians, health forums, but not YouTube were associated with use of menstrual cycle tracking apps. Girls who used fitness apps were more likely to use apps to track menstrual cycle. Conclusion: Approximately one third of girls in Belgrade highs schools who have smartphones used menstrual cycle tracking apps. Use of different digital media might influence the decision to track menstrual cycle via smartphone apps.

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“…Furthermore, research examining help-seeking behaviors of this group suggests that they use the internet as their first point of call for support for issues related to mental health and well-being [13,14]. The type of support available on the web includes informational support (eg, websites that include information about particular issues) and emotional support (eg, social connections and connections with professionals) [15,16]. More specifically, this can include websites that include (1) informative content, (2) web-based question and answer sessions, (3) online forums [16], (4) stand-alone therapeutic programs or apps [17], and (5) web-based contact with professionals (eg, web-based therapists) [18].…”

Section: Young People Mental Health and Well-being And The Internetmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the COVID-19 pandemic, web-based psychological support became an important resource for individuals within countries that were placed in enforced lockdown periods where self-distancing and self-isolation measures became commonplace. The ToC described here reflects some of these benefits and highlights that CYP may use these resources as points of informational and emotional support [15,16]. As a consequence, individuals may choose to access a combination of resources, with informative static webpages about particular issues, peer discussion forums, and professional support and guidance.…”

Section: The Conditions Present For Cyp To Want To Access Web-based Tmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Theory of Change for Web-Based Therapy and Support Services for Children and Young People: Collaborative Qualitative Exploration

Hanley¹,

Sefi²,

Grauberg³

et al. 2021

JMIR Pediatr Parent

Self Cite

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Background Web-based counseling and support has become increasingly commonplace for children and young people (CYP). Currently, there is limited research that focuses on the mechanisms of change within complex telepsychology platforms, a factor that makes designing and implementing outcome measures challenging. Objective This project aims to articulate a theory of change (ToC) for Kooth, a web-based therapy and support platform for CYP. Methods A collaborative qualitative research design involving professional staff, academic partners, and young people was used to develop the ToC. The following three major reflective phases were engaged: a scoping workshop involving professional staff and academic partners, a series of explorative projects were completed to inform the development of the ToC, and the draft ToC was reviewed for coherence by key stakeholders (young people, online professionals, and service managers). Results A collaboratively developed ToC was presented. This was divided into the conditions that lead to individuals wanting to access web-based therapy and support (eg, individuals wanting support there and then or quickly), the mode of service delivery (eg, skilled and experienced professionals able to build empathetic relationships with CYP), and the observed and reported changes that occur as a consequence of using the service (eg, individuals being better able to manage current and future situations). Conclusions Developing the ToC helps to shed light on how web-based therapy and support services aid the mental health and well-being of CYP. Furthermore, it helps to understand the development of positive virtual ecosystems and can be used to devise evaluative tools for CYP telepsychology providers.

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A systematic review exploring how young people use online forums for support around mental health issues

Cited by 49 publications

References 47 publications

#Online harms or benefits? An ethnographic analysis of the positives and negatives of peer‐support around self‐harm on social media

#Online harms or benefits? An ethnographic analysis of the positives and negatives of peer‐support around self‐harm on social media

High School Girls and Smartphone Applications to Track Menstrual Cycle

A Theory of Change for Web-Based Therapy and Support Services for Children and Young People: Collaborative Qualitative Exploration

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