A Newly Developed Online Peer Support Community for Depression (Depression Connect): Qualitative Study.

Dorien Smit Janna N Vrijsen Bart Groeneweg Amber Vellinga-Dings Janneke Peelen Jan Spijker

Published in: Journal of medical Internet research (2021)

Our findings shed new light on user engagement processes on which internet support groups rely. The online community primarily served as a virtual meeting place to practice (social) skills for deployment in the offline world. It also allowed the members to learn from each other's knowledge and experiences and explore newly gained insights and coping skills.

Keyphrases

healthcare
mental health
health information
depressive symptoms
social media
sleep quality
social support
primary care
medical students
quality improvement
physical activity