Communication with Online Social Support Groups for Individuals Facing Health Concerns: A Review of Theory and Research on Supportive Interactions and Their Implications Online for Health Outcomes

• Wright, Kevin ^[1]
  1. [1] Department of Communication
• Localización: Review of Communication Research: literature reviews & meta-analyses for the communication field, ISSN-e 2255-4165, Nº. 4, 2016, págs. 65-87
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This article reviews literature on online support groups/communities for individuals facing health concerns. Specifically, the article focuses on predictors of online support group/community participation, major theoretical frameworks that have been applied to the study of online support groups/communities, and coping strategies and health outcomes for individuals facing health concerns. Finally, the article discusses the strengths and limitations of existing empirical studies in this area; presents a critique of the relative merits and limitations of a number of theoretical frameworks that have been applied to the study of online support groups/communities for people facing health concerns; and it provides an agenda for future communication research on health-related online support groups/communities.