Editing Support group (section)

==Online support groups==
Since at least 1982, the [[Internet]] has provided a venue for support groups. Discussing online self-help support groups as the precursor to e-therapy, Martha Ainsworth notes that "the enduring success of these groups has firmly established the potential of computer-mediated communication to enable discussion of sensitive personal issues."<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.metanoia.org/imhs/history.htm |title= E-Therapy: History and Survey |access-date= 2008-04-15 |last= Ainsworth |first= Martha }}</ref>

In one study of the effectiveness of online support groups among patients with head and neck cancer, longer participation in online support groups were found to result in a better health-related quality of life.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Algtewi|first1=Eamar|last2=Owens|first2=Janine|last3=Baker|first3=Sarah R.|date=2017-04-17|title=Online support groups for head and neck cancer and health-related quality of life|journal=Quality of Life Research|volume=26|issue=9|pages=2351–2362|doi=10.1007/s11136-017-1575-8|pmid=28417218|pmc=5548849|issn=0962-9343}}</ref>

[[File:Parkins(on)line.png|thumb|Gerald Ganglbauer's ''Parkins(on)line'']]

===Appropriate groups still difficult to find===
A researcher from [[University College London]] says the lack of qualitative directories, and the fact that many support groups are not listed by search engines can make finding an appropriate group difficult.<ref name="Potts 2005">{{cite journal| last      =Potts| first      =Henry W. W.| title      =Online support groups: An overlooked resource for patients| url      =http://eprints.ucl.ac.uk/archive/00001406/01/Online_support_groups.pdf| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20060309233843/http://eprints.ucl.ac.uk/archive/00001406/01/Online_support_groups.pdf| url-status =dead| archive-date =2006-03-09| journal      =He@LTH Information on the Internet| volume      =44| issue      =1| pages      =6–8| name-list-style      =vanc}}</ref> Even so, he does say that the medical community needs "to understand the use of personal experiences rather than an evidence-based approach... these groups also impact on how individuals ''use'' information.  They can help people learn how to find and use information: for example, users swap Web sites and ''discuss'' Web sites."

It is not difficult to find an online support group, but it is hard to find a good one.  In the article ''What to Look for in Quality Online Support Groups'', John M. Grohol gives tips for evaluating online groups and states: "In good online support groups, members stick around long after they've received the support they were seeking. They stay because they want to give others what they themselves found in the group. Psychologists call this ''high group cohesion'', and it is the pinnacle of group achievement."<ref>{{cite web |url= http://psychcentral.com/archives/support_groups.htm  |title= What to Look for in Quality Online Support Groups |access-date= 2008-04-15  |last= Grohol |first= John M.  |date= May 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114064133/http://psychcentral.com/archives/support_groups.htm |archive-date=2010-01-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Benefits and pitfalls===

Several studies have shown the importance of the Internet in providing social support, particularly to groups with chronic health problems.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Powell | first = John |author2=Aileen Clarke  | year = 2002 | title = The WWW of the World Wide Web: Who, What, and Why? | journal = Journal of Medical Internet Research | volume = 4 | issue = 1 | pages = e4| doi = 10.2196/jmir.4.1.e4 | pmid = 11956036 | pmc = 1761925  | doi-access = free }}</ref> Especially in cases of uncommon ailments, a sense of community and understanding in spite of great geographical distances can be important, in addition to sharing of knowledge.

Online support groups, online communities for those affected by a common problem, give mutual support and provide information, two often inseparable features.  They are, according to Henry Potts of University College London, "an overlooked resource for patients."   Many studies have looked at the ''content of messages'', while what matters is the effect that ''participation'' in the group has on the individual.  Potts complains that research on these groups has lagged behind, particularly on the groups which are set up by the people with the problems, rather than by researchers and healthcare professionals.  User-defined groups can share the sort of practical knowledge that healthcare professionals can overlook, and they also impact on how individuals find, interpret and use information.<ref name="Potts 2005"/>

There are many benefits to online support groups that have been found through research studies. Although online support group users are not required to be anonymous, a study conducted by Baym (2010) finds that anonymity is beneficial to those who are lonely or anxious. This does not pertain to some people seeking support groups, because not all are lonely and/or anxious, but for those who are, online support groups are a great outlet where one can feel comfortable honestly expressing themselves because the other users do not know who they are.

A study was conducted by Walther and Boyd (2000) and they found a common trend to why people find online support groups appealing. First, the social distance between members online reduced embarrassment and they appreciated the greater range of expertise offered in the larger online social network. Next, they found that anonymity increased one's confidence in providing support to others and decreased embarrassment. The users of the social support websites were more comfortable being able to reread and edit their comments and discussion forum entries before sending them, and they have access to the website any time during the day. Each of these characteristics of online support groups are not offered when going to an in-person support group.

In a study conducted by Gunther Eysenbach, John Powell, Marina Englesakis, Carlos Rizo, and Anita Stern (2004), the researchers found it difficult to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of online peer-to-peer support groups. In online support groups, people must have the desire to support and help each other, and many times participants go on the sites in order to get help themselves or are limited to a certain subgroup.

An additional benefit to online support groups is that participation is asynchronous.  This means that it is not necessary for all participants to be logged into the forum simultaneously in order to communicate.  An experience or question can be posted and others can answer questions or comment on posts whenever they are logged in and have an appropriate response.  This characteristic allows for participation and mass communication without having to worry about time constraints. Additionally, there are 24-hour chat rooms and spaces for focused conversation at all times of the day or night. This allows users to get the support they need whenever they need it, while remaining comfortable and, if they so wish, anonymous.

===Mental health===
Although there has been relatively little research on the effectiveness of online support groups in mental health,<ref name=Dean>{{cite journal
| last1       = Dean
| first1      = J
| last2      = Potts
| first2     = HWW
| last3      = Barker
| first3     = C
| date       = 2016
| title      = Direction to an Internet Support Group Compared With Online Expressive Writing for People With Depression And Anxiety: A Randomized Trial
| journal    = JMIR Mental Health
| volume     = 3
| issue      = 2
| pages      = e12
| doi        = 10.2196/mental.5133
| pmid      = 27189142
| pmc      = 4887661
| doi-access = free
}}</ref> there is some evidence that online support groups can be beneficial.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Griffiths |first1=KM |last2=Calear |first2=AL |author-link2=Alison Calear |last3=Banfield |first3=M |date=2009 |title=Systematic review on Internet Support Groups (ISGs) and depression (1): Do ISGs reduce depressive symptoms? |journal=J Med Internet Res |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=e40 |doi=10.2196/jmir.1270 |pmc=2802256 |pmid=19793719 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Large randomised controlled trials have both found positive effects<ref>{{cite journal
| last1       = Griffiths
| first1      = KM
| last2      = Mackinnon
| first2     = AJ
| last3      = Crisp
| first3     = DA
| last4      = Christensen
| first4     = H
| last5      = Bennett
| first5     = K
| last6      = Farrer
| first6     = L
| date       = 2012
| title      = The effectiveness of an online support group for members of the community with depression: a randomised controlled trial
| journal    = PLOS ONE
| volume     = 7
| issue      = 12
| pages      = e53244
| bibcode    =2012PLoSO...753244G 
| doi        = 10.1371/journal.pone.0053244
| pmid      = 23285271
| pmc= 3532446
| doi-access = free
}}</ref> and failed to find positive effects.<ref name=Dean />