Coping with infertility online: An examination of self-help mechanisms in an online infertility support group

Malik, Sumaira H.; Coulson, Neil S.

Abstract

Objective: To examine communication within an online infertility support group. Methods: A content analysis of 3500 messages posted to infertility bulletin boards. Results: The most frequently used self-help mechanisms were support or empathy (45.5%) and sharing personal experiences (45.4%), followed by the provision of information and advice (15.9%), gratitude (12.5%), friendship (9.9%), chit-chat (9.4%), requests for information or advice (6.8%) and universality (4.8%), with negative statements (0.3%) and creative expressions (0.2%) being the least frequent categories. Conclusion: These findings suggest that online support groups can provide a viable alternative source of support for couples dealing with infertility. Practice implications: Health care professionals interested in developing online support interventions should look to tailor support resources to the specific needs of patients at different stages of the infertility journey. © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Citation

Malik, S. H., & Coulson, N. S. (2010). Coping with infertility online: An examination of self-help mechanisms in an online infertility support group. Patient Education and Counseling, 81(2), 315-318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2010.01.007

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 10, 2010
• Online Publication Date: Feb 9, 2010
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2010
• Deposit Date: Jan 7, 2021
• Journal: Patient Education and Counseling
• Print ISSN: 0738-3991
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-5134
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 81
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 315-318
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2010.01.007
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3161549
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738399110000157