Coping with mental health issues via communicative action in the digital age: testing cybercoping models

Mental health issues have become critical social problems around the world. Individuals who are suffering from mental health problems tend to obtain health information and social support in the digital media environment. However, there has been little research on how information-seeking and information-forwarding behaviors affect sufferers' coping processes and outcomes. Based on communicative behaviors of people in online to solve health problmes, this study aims to apply two cybercoping modes proposed by previous reserach to mental health issues.

Using anxiety and depression issues, this study conducted an online survey (N = 560) to examine two cybercoping models with data collected from an online crowdsourcing platform (Amazon's Mechanical Turk). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to test the cybercoping models in the context of mental health issues.

Results of the first cybercoping model showed that information seeking was positively associated with coping outcomes, whereas information forwarding was not significant. While information seeking in the second cybercoping model was significantly associated with other factors, information forwarding was not significant. The second model revealed that coping processes fully mediate between information seeking and cybercoping outcomes.

This study contributes to the theoretical building of cybercoping models in the context of mental health issues by illustrating the effects of information seeking on cybercoping outcomes. Health care practitioners may use these results to better understand which communicative processes in online mental health communication are positively associated with specific coping processes and outcomes.