Social Support-Seeking Behaviours in an Online Support Group for Dental Anxiety: A Content Analysis

Dental anxiety (DA) is a prevalent condition associated with dental avoidance and reduced oral health-related quality of life, and online support groups (OSGs) represent an emerging avenue for peer support. This study aimed to assess the types and frequencies of social support sought by individuals with DA within an OSG.

Internet-mediated research was conducted using qualitative and quantitative content analyses. Publicly available threads from the Dental Fear Central (Oxford, United Kingdom) forum were sampled across designated months in 2022, 2023, and 2024. A final dataset of 271 threads yielding 531 statements was coded and analysed using a modified social support behaviour code framework.

Sharing personal experiences was the most frequent support type (n = 284; 53.4%), followed by seeking informational support (n = 165; 31.1%) and seeking emotional support (n = 52; 9.8%). Encouragement (n = 16; 3.0%), expressions of care (n = 8; 1.5%), expressions of gratitude (n = 3; 0.6%), seeking network support (n = 2; 0.4%), and seeking well-being information (n = 1; 0.2%) were also identified. No statements were coded as seeking esteem support, seeking tangible support, or congratulations.

The current findings can help oral health professionals better understand patient fears and guide the development of tailored digital peer-support interventions. Future research could employ a longitudinal design to explore the long-term impact of OSGs on DA.