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The Task and Relational Dimensions of Online Social Support
Stephenson J Beck1, Emily A Paskewitz2, Whitney A Anderson1
1a Department of Communication , North Dakota State University.
Health Communication
|June 9, 2016
Summary
Online support groups offer accessible help for depression. Task-oriented messages, while dominant, also provide emotional support by reducing uncertainty for participants seeking problem-solving.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Communication Studies
Background:
- Online support groups offer accessible, convenient, and comfortable social support for individuals with mental and physical illnesses.
- Individuals with depression may prefer online groups to avoid the stigma associated with in-person support.
- Understanding message types in online depression support groups is crucial for optimizing their effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how task and relational messages contribute to social support within online depression support groups.
- To identify the prevalence and types of social support messages exchanged in these online communities.
Main Methods:
- Content analysis of messages from online depression support groups.
- Utilized Cutrona and Suhr's social support coding scheme and Bales's Interaction Process Analysis coding scheme.
- Categorized messages based on task-orientation and relational content.
Main Results:
- Emotional support was the most prevalent form of social support observed.
- The majority of messages were categorized as task-oriented rather than relational.
- Informational support predominantly comprised task messages, while network and esteem support were primarily relational.
Conclusions:
- Task-oriented messages are dominant in online depression support groups, indicating a focus on problem-solving.
- Even task-focused communication can lead to emotional support by alleviating participant uncertainty.
- The findings highlight the multifaceted nature of social support in online mental health communities.
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