
iPOF
Improving Peer Online Forums
Study Summary
When people experience mental health difficulties, they often look for help online. This has increased during Covid-19, because it has been harder to get in-person help. Online searches will lead them to a range of mental health peer forums (also called online communities). These are websites where people with a shared interest or concern can “post” messages to others and get their advice and support. Online forums can be very helpful. Some people report feeling less distressed, less alone, and more able to cope. However, others have reported feeling more distressed and less able to cope after using forums. We do not know why these differences occur. This means we do not know how to make forums better, or which ones should be offered to people seeking help.
We aim to find out: how online mental health forums work; why some work better than others; and why some people find them helpful and others do not. Based on what we find, we will work with people who use forums; people employed to support forums; and people who set up and fund forums; to develop tools to improve the design and support from online mental health forums.
Throughout the project, we will work closely with those who involved with forums on a day-to-day basis. This includes those with lived experience of mental health issues and use forums, those who help to support forums (moderators), those who help to design and run forums, and those in senior positions of healthcare services who determine funding for online forums.
Our team includes people with experience of seeking support for mental health problems; people who fund, run and support online mental health forums; and people with the skills to collect and analyse the data. Our outputs will be shared with people taking part in the research, and then widely across mental health and academic groups.
RT @JPalmierClaus: This job advert is still open until Monday. Please consider applying if you have an interest in reducing health inequalities in people with psychosis and bipolar disorder. https://t.co/Dxl7Xn8R6E
RT @JPalmierClaus: JOB ALERT: 20 month, 0.8 FTE Research Assistant post working on the Mouth Matters in Mental Health trial (NIHR funded) evaluating a link work intervention to help people with psychosis & bipolar to see a dentist. #dentist #SMI #psychosis #bipolar #CMHT https://t.co/ZaWDArrveN
RT @MISST_UK: NEW PUBLICATION: Pilot study of a brief positive mental imagery intervention in university students experiencing suicidal thoughts. We are now assessing the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention in larger numbers in @MISST_UK https://t.co/3G5IBPSDiz
RT @MISST_UK: Please read our press statement on @MISST_UK. We are excited to be conducting this important trial! #suicideresearch #selfinjuryresearch https://t.co/q0zNfIx6q9