Examining Social Capital, Social Support, and Language Use in an Online Depression Forum: Social Network and Content Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The use of peer-to-peer online support groups and communities has grown into a social phenomenon. Many people use online support groups and communities to seek and provide social support. It is essential to examine how users' participation behaviors may contribute to different outcomes.

Objective

This study aimed to (1) use the structural positions of online depression forum users in their reply network to predict received support and (2) examine their language use reflecting their health conditions.

Methods

A total of 2061 users and their 62,274 replies posted on a depression forum from July 2004 to July 2014 were extracted using a web crawler written in Python. The content of the forum users' posts and replies and their reply patterns were examined. A soc

SUBMITTER: Pan W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7381041 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature