Beaudoin, C.E.,  and Tao, C.  (2007).  Benefitting from social capital in online support groups:  An empirical study of cancer patients.  CyberPsychology and Behavior, 10, 587-590

This brief report was somewhat hard to follow.

• 28% of internet users are participating in medically-oriented online support groups (not sure what that means)
• 58% of individuals with cancer use online support groups
  • more social support
  • community
  • coping
  • decreases depression and anxiety
• Social capital
  • actual/potential resources from interactions
    • reciprocity
    • trust
    • utilized - "outcomes" (individual and community levels)
• Social support
  • advice
  • emotional support
    • considered the operationalization of social capital
• mass media use and public health are linked with social capital
• social capital predictors
  • news use
  • media campaign
  • internet
• also effects on health outcomes
• current study - Internet use - increases social capital - increases social support - increases health outcomes
  • stress
  • coping
  • depression
• online survvey of 372 members of Yahoo! cancer groups
  • mean age - 42.47
  • education was varied from none to graduate degrees
  • 96% white
  • 1/3 were male
• structural equation modeling used to evaluate the survey
• model was supported.
  • asynchronous communication - social interaction
  • social support - social interaction/trust
  • social support - stress, coping and depression
  • social support seems to be a mediator
• synchronous communication was not supported - not as many people use chat?
• there was a negative effect - information seeking - depression
  • can be empowering, but not for all people
  • internet use did not predict interpersonal trust
• Limitations
  • convenience sampling
  • limited number of items in survey