scholarly journals The machine as intermediary: personal communication via a machine

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 427-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Digby Tantam
Keyword(s):  
Peer Support ◽  
Therapeutic Relationship ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Personal Communication ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Internet Communication ◽  
Face To Face

The physical co-presence of psychotherapist or counsellor and client has been considered essential to the development of the therapeutic relationship. Psychotherapists have often, therefore, been resolutely opposed to anything other than face-to-face therapy. The richness and ubiquity of internet communication is likely to change that. I consider here the circumstances in which internet psychotherapy is indicated, some of the new problems it poses, including boundary-keeping and ethics, along with some solutions to these problems. The potential of the internet has already been exploited by many clients themselves and I conclude with a consideration of the growth of internet-based peer support groups.

scholarly journals Combining online and offline peer support groups in mental health care: A qualitative study of service users� experiences (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Strand ◽  
Deede Gammon ◽  
Lillian Sofie Eng ◽  
Cornelia Ruland
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Individual Interviews

BACKGROUND Peer support groups for people with long-term mental health problems are at the heart of recovery-oriented approaches in mental health care. When conducted face-to-face (offline) or on the Internet (online), peer support groups have proven to have differing strengths and weaknesses. Little is known about the benefits and challenges of combining the two formats. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to gain insights into the benefits and challenges of combining online and offline peer support groups facilitated through an Internet intervention designed to support recovery processes. METHODS In this exploratory and descriptive study, an e-recovery portal called ReConnect was used by service users in two mental health communities in Norway for 6-12 months. The portal included an online peer support forum which also facilitated participation in local in-person ReConnect-cafés. Both formats of peer support were facilitated by an employed service user consultant with lived experience of mental health problems and with training in peer support. Qualitative data about service users’ experiences of using the portal were collected through focus groups and individual interviews and inductively analyzed thematically with focus on benefits and challenges of peer support online and offline. RESULTS A total of 14 service users 22-63 years of age with various diagnoses, receiving services at both primary and specialist levels of mental health care participated in three focus groups and 10 individual interviews. Two main themes were identified in the analysis: 1) balancing anonymity and openness, and 2) enabling connectedness. These themes are further illustrated with the subthemes: i) dilemmas of anonymity and confidentiality, ii) towards self-disclosure and openness, iii) new friendships, and iv) networks in the local community. Three of the subthemes mainly describe benefits. Challenges were more implicit and cut across the subthemes. Identified challenges were linked to transitions from anonymity to revealing one’s identity, how to protect confidentiality, or to participation at face-to-face meetings in the local community. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that online peer support groups and offline meetings complement each other, and the combination is mainly beneficial to users. The identified benefits appeared to arise from participants’ options of one format or the other, or that they could combine formats in ways that suited their individual values and comfort zones. We also identified challenges related to combination of formats, and both formats require appropriate facilitation of peer support. Combining online formats that enable anonymity, a non-judgmental atmosphere, and 24/7 accessibility regardless of location, with offline formats that foster local, in-person community ties, is a promising concept for facilitating recovery-oriented care, and warrants continued research.

scholarly journals Initial Training for Mental Health Peer Support Workers: Systematized Review and International Delphi Consultation (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashleigh Charles ◽  
Rebecca Nixdorf ◽  
Nashwa Ibrahim ◽  
Lion Gai Meir ◽  
Richard S Mpango ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Initial Training ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Systematized Review ◽  
Strong Consensus ◽  
Support Work ◽  
Peer Support Work

BACKGROUND Initial training is essential for the mental health peer support worker (PSW) role. Training needs to incorporate recent advances in digital peer support and the increase of peer support work roles internationally. There is a lack of evidence on training topics that are important for initial peer support work training and on which training topics can be provided on the internet. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to establish consensus levels about the content of initial training for mental health PSWs and the extent to which each identified topic can be delivered over the internet. METHODS A systematized review was conducted to identify a preliminary list of training topics from existing training manuals. Three rounds of Delphi consultation were then conducted to establish the importance and web-based deliverability of each topic. In round 1, participants were asked to rate the training topics for importance, and the topic list was refined. In rounds 2 and 3, participants were asked to rate each topic for importance and the extent to which they could be delivered over the internet. RESULTS The systematized review identified 32 training manuals from 14 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These were synthesized to develop a preliminary list of 18 topics. The Delphi consultation involved 110 participants (49 PSWs, 36 managers, and 25 researchers) from 21 countries (14 high-income, 5 middle-income, and 2 low-income countries). After the Delphi consultation (round 1: n=110; round 2: n=89; and round 3: n=82), 20 training topics (18 universal and 2 context-specific) were identified. There was a strong consensus about the importance of five topics: <i>lived experience as an asset</i>, <i>ethics</i>, <i>PSW well-being</i>, and <i>PSW role focus on recovery</i> and <i>communication</i>, with a moderate consensus for all other topics apart from the <i>knowledge of mental health</i>. There was no clear pattern of differences among PSW, manager, and researcher ratings of importance or between responses from participants in countries with different resource levels. All training topics were identified with a strong consensus as being deliverable through blended web-based and face-to-face training (rating 1) or fully deliverable on the internet with moderation (rating 2), with none identified as only deliverable through face-to-face teaching (rating 0) or deliverable fully on the web as a stand-alone course without moderation (rating 3). CONCLUSIONS The 20 training topics identified can be recommended for inclusion in the curriculum of initial training programs for PSWs. Further research on web-based delivery of initial training is needed to understand the role of web-based moderation and whether web-based training better prepares recipients to deliver web-based peer support. CLINICALTRIAL

Leveraging Facebook as a Peer-Support Group for Students

2014 ◽  
pp. 195-212
Author(s):  
Joni Salminen
Keyword(s):  
Peer Support ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Technology Barriers ◽  
Peer Support Group ◽  
Teacher Needs ◽  
User Friendly

This chapter reports the use of Facebook in a Digital Marketing course in a Finnish university as a peer-support group for a course consisting of 80 marketing students. It identifies seven types of student-/teacher-generated content: (1) course-related posts, (2) substance-related posts, (3) course feedback, (4) course recommendations, (5) event posts, (6) job posts, and (7) business-related posts. It also discusses educators’ problems of using social media as a course support. For example, there is a risk of artificial communication if participation is required but motivation for posting is purely extrinsic. Commercial social networks may be useful in education because they are user-friendly, easy to adopt, and involve less friction than systems isolated from students’ day-to-day usage of the Internet. Peer support frees teachers’ time, but it needs to be devised correctly for students to participate. In practice, the teacher needs to invest time and effort in providing interesting content and guidance. More than technology, barriers of peer support relate to social issues and expertise – the students must differ in their substantive knowledge so that peer support is possible, and students must feel comfortable to ask for and provide help. Interestingly, the drop out of students in the group can be kept low even after the course by posting interesting content. In this sense, the group may demonstrate stronger ties than peer support groups that dissolve after the course.

Change in the library: the viewpoint of a columnist

2018 ◽  
Vol 119 (11) ◽  
pp. 613-617
Author(s):  
Bruce Massis
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Communication Skill ◽  
Personal Communication ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Public ◽  
Human Touch ◽  
Customer Services ◽  
Over Time

Purpose The purpose of this study is to reflect on the author’s decade as a columnist for New Library World and Information and Learning Science. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides literature review and commentary on this topic that has been addressed by professionals, researchers and practitioners. Findings When a patron approaches a librarian with a question, and the resources are discovered that can aid and support that patron in finding a solution to his or her dilemma, the stock of the librarian rises, reminding the public that with all the changes around the profession since the advent of the internet, the human touch, that face-to-face interaction and personal communication skill, still remains a significant instrument in the librarian’s customer services toolkit. Originality/value The value in exploring this topic is for others to acknowledge that which has been gained over time by an experienced library colleague.

Face-to-face vs. online peer support groups for prostate cancer: A cross-sectional comparison study

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Huber ◽  
Tanja Muck ◽  
Philipp Maatz ◽  
Bastian Keck ◽  
Paul Enders ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Comparison Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Face To Face

scholarly journals Initial Training for Mental Health Peer Support Workers: Systematized Review and International Delphi Consultation

10.2196/25528 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. e25528
Author(s):  
Ashleigh Charles ◽  
Rebecca Nixdorf ◽  
Nashwa Ibrahim ◽  
Lion Gai Meir ◽  
Richard S Mpango ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Initial Training ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Systematized Review ◽  
Strong Consensus ◽  
Support Work ◽  
Peer Support Work

Background Initial training is essential for the mental health peer support worker (PSW) role. Training needs to incorporate recent advances in digital peer support and the increase of peer support work roles internationally. There is a lack of evidence on training topics that are important for initial peer support work training and on which training topics can be provided on the internet. Objective The objective of this study is to establish consensus levels about the content of initial training for mental health PSWs and the extent to which each identified topic can be delivered over the internet. Methods A systematized review was conducted to identify a preliminary list of training topics from existing training manuals. Three rounds of Delphi consultation were then conducted to establish the importance and web-based deliverability of each topic. In round 1, participants were asked to rate the training topics for importance, and the topic list was refined. In rounds 2 and 3, participants were asked to rate each topic for importance and the extent to which they could be delivered over the internet. Results The systematized review identified 32 training manuals from 14 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These were synthesized to develop a preliminary list of 18 topics. The Delphi consultation involved 110 participants (49 PSWs, 36 managers, and 25 researchers) from 21 countries (14 high-income, 5 middle-income, and 2 low-income countries). After the Delphi consultation (round 1: n=110; round 2: n=89; and round 3: n=82), 20 training topics (18 universal and 2 context-specific) were identified. There was a strong consensus about the importance of five topics: lived experience as an asset, ethics, PSW well-being, and PSW role focus on recovery and communication, with a moderate consensus for all other topics apart from the knowledge of mental health. There was no clear pattern of differences among PSW, manager, and researcher ratings of importance or between responses from participants in countries with different resource levels. All training topics were identified with a strong consensus as being deliverable through blended web-based and face-to-face training (rating 1) or fully deliverable on the internet with moderation (rating 2), with none identified as only deliverable through face-to-face teaching (rating 0) or deliverable fully on the web as a stand-alone course without moderation (rating 3). Conclusions The 20 training topics identified can be recommended for inclusion in the curriculum of initial training programs for PSWs. Further research on web-based delivery of initial training is needed to understand the role of web-based moderation and whether web-based training better prepares recipients to deliver web-based peer support.

scholarly journals Tarpkultūrinė komunikacija ir internetas: tarpkultūrinės komunikacijos vaidmuo interneto bendruomenėse

2008 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 22-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maciej Kałuża ◽  
Ewa Golik
Keyword(s):  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Internet Communication ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Role Playing Games ◽  
Group Cooperation ◽  
Computer Mediated

Straipsnyje pateikiama tarpkultūrinės komunikacijos, egzistuojančios interneto bendruomenėse, analizė, atlikta bendradarbiaujant su grupės MMORPG (angl. Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) nariais. Šio tyrimo tikslas buvo parodyti, kad interneto bendruomenės linkusios turėti gana išvystytas organizacines struktūras, įgalinančias jų narius dirbti kartu atliekant intelektines užduotis. Nors MMORPG tradicinė akis į akį komunikacija yra pakeičiama kompiuterių perduodama komunikacija (angl. computer mediated communication), vis tiek galima pamatyti, kaip formuojasi specifinės grupės kultūra. Tyrimo metu nustatytas dar vienas svarbus veiksnys – interneto bendruomenėse, kurias sudaro MMORPG nariai iš skirtingų kultūrų, pasaulio religijų, matyti, kad kultūriniai jų sąveikos aspektai ne tik atsiskleidžia iš jų veiksmų, bet taip pat turi didelę įtaką žaidėjo elgsenai ar grupės organizavimui. Ilgo bendradarbiavimo veiksnys rodo, kad tarp žaidėjų, priklausančių MMORPG, yra susiformavusių specifinių komunikacijos formų ir integruojanti grupės kultūra.Intercultural communication and the Internet. The role of intercultural communication in Internet societiesMaciej Kałuża, Ewa Golik SummaryThe subject of our paper is an analysis of intercultural communication, in Internet societies, concentrated on group cooperation in MMORPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games). The main purpose of our study was to show that Internet societies tend to have a highly developed structure of organization, enabling them to work together on very sophisticated tasks. Even though in MMORPGs a traditional face-to-face communication is replaced by the computer-mediated communication, we can still observe emergence of specific group cultures as defined by traditional sociology. Also, a rather important factor is that due to the fact that the Internet societies found in MMORPGs are made up of players from different cultures, world regions, the cultural aspect of their interaction is not only visible in their actions, but also tends to have a strong influence on players’ behaviors and group organization. The fact of a long cooperation among players playing the MMORPGs also results in a very specific form of communication and a highly complex in-group culture.Key words: Internet, communication, group, organization, structure

Cyber Support Venues for Cancer

2012 ◽  
pp. 689-698
Author(s):  
Thomas O. Blank ◽  
Steven D. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Cancer Types ◽  
Gender Based

In recent years, many cancer patients and families have turned to the Internet for information and support. Cyber support venues to serve those needs vary from small newsgroups to discussion areas as part of comprehensive eHealth support systems. Two decades of research studies, mostly on breast and/or prostate cancer venues, indicate a range of users, including both patients and family members, and reveal both advantages and disadvantages compared to face-to-face support groups. Researchers have shown consistent differences about how breast and prostate sites are used, apparently due to both gender-based approaches to communication and support and different issues related to the different cancer types. Limited research indicates mostly positive psychological well-being impacts of participating on these venues. Future research is needed to further explore gender differences and examine how newer cyber venues, such as blogs, Facebook, and Twitter, become utilized by those facing cancer.

scholarly journals P15 Development of JIA Matters: a parent-led peer support network across England and Wales in collaboration with paediatric rheumatology centres

Rheumatology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Earle
Keyword(s):  
Peer Support ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Family Engagement ◽  
Paediatric Rheumatology ◽  
Support Network ◽  
British Society ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Local Support

Abstract Background Peer support, which can take many forms, involves people sharing knowledge, experience and practical help. It is recognised as a useful mechanism for families living with children who have a long-term condition, such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). It is often provided by voluntary organisations. While some forms of peer support were established for families living with JIA in the United Kingdom (UK), there were no local support groups in a number of locations. Given that over 12,000 families are living with JIA, the need for access to peer support for families became evident. Therefore, the aim was to establish one local support group for JIA families in London; while identifying whether any other families were organising similar activities elsewhere in England and Wales. Methods The initial concept was discussed and endorsed by a group of paediatric rheumatology clinicians and the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology (BSPAR – part of the British Society for Rheumatology) Parent Group. Policies and guidelines for the network and local support groups were then created. The Juvenile Arthritis Parents and Families UK Facebook group were consulted via a parent-led request to identify who lived in the London area. Subsequently, a JIA Matters North and West London closed Facebook group was created, and families from the area were invited to join. Once several members had joined, the JIA Matters Co-ordinator arranged a local, face-to-face meet-up for families. Using this model, paediatric rheumatology centres across different counties in England and Wales were approached by JIA Matters to recommend parents/carers who could be suitable parent/carer representatives to lead on establishing local groups. Results Between July 2017 and March 2019, 36 JIA Matters groups were established across England and Wales. Some groups have rapidly developed, while others remain conservative. Attendance at local, face-to-face meet-ups have been variable, with some groups experiencing difficulties in encouraging people to attend. The first local, face-to-face meet up of the NW London group was attended by seven families. Some paediatric rheumatology centres have been responsive and proactive in using JIA Matters and have begun to engage with the JIA Matters Coordinator to help enhance family engagement within local activities. To aid the sustainability of the network across the country, JIA Matters was incorporated into the Children’s Chronic Arthritis Association (CCAA) in March 2019, strengthening the national reach of the network to help ensure families across the country have access to local peer support. Conclusion JIA Matters has demonstrated how parent-led initiatives on a local level can indeed influence activities on a national level. From modest aims, JIA Matters has evolved to connect families living in the same geographic area, while promoting family engagement in research, service development and activities within paediatric rheumatology centres. Conflicts of Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

scholarly journals The Internet communication in the perspective of personalism of E. Mounier

2003 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 487-490
Author(s):  
Robert Więckowski
Keyword(s):  
Personal Communication ◽  
Personal Contact ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Internet Communication ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
Human Relationships ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Special Privilege ◽  
Objective Tool

In the paper, it is discussed the communicative role of the Internet in the view of Mounier’s conception of personal communication. E. Mounier distinguishes two aspects of human communication: objective and subjective. The first one is reduced to the function of giving information, the second one . is specific for a man as a person. It is presented the most essential features of subjective, existential communication, that after all requires an understanding of other people. This attitude, according to Mounier, is not possible without opening to transcendence. In the view, the Internet is regarded as an objective tool of communication. It is briefly discussed the main ways of using the Internet in keeping up human relationships, the specific features of the tool, its advantages and disadvantages for personal contact. Finally, the development of the Internet is understood as a symptom of the need of passing on thoughts, considerations, and love to others as a human special privilege.

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