Psychological impact of online support communities : can human participation in an online health community improve psychological well-being

2019

Online Health Communities (OHCs) have become a major source of social, emotional and informational support for people with health problems. There has been much debate surrounding the potential benefits and costs of online interaction. This debate is centred on the positive and negative effects online health communities have on it users. Social network is believed to have great impact on its participants as suggested by some works of literature, thus participants feel a sense of liberation from any perceived restriction placed in real world either legally, socially or politically. Online Health communities have been able to provide support to these individuals therefore, leading to a positiv…