Abstract
This study examined supportive messages in spiritual and non-spiritual online support groups for depression. Both social support and religiosity have been associated with reduced depressive symptomology. Proportions of three types of support (i.e., informational, emotional, and network) were considered; messages were further delineated as being either religious or non-religious in nature. Messages (N = 2,674) from two Christian and two unaffiliated online groups were analyzed. Results indicated that Christian groups communicated more informational support and General groups communicated more network support. Christian groups communicated more religious messages. This and future research is valuable to practitioners and clergy aiding depressed individuals and to the literature on social support and religion.
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Notes
The coding system includes two additional categories: Tangible aid (i.e., providing goods or services) and esteem support (i.e., communicating respect for and confidence in another). However, these are not relevant to online groups (Bambina 2007). In particular, tangible aid is extremely difficult to enact; because online groups are characterized by anonymity and geographical space, members are severely limited in their ability to “provide goods or services needed in the stressful situation” (Cutrona and Suhr 1992, p. 159). Also, esteem support, as it is conceptualized above, may be considered as a subcategory of emotional support, rather than its own supra-category (Bambina 2007); validation of others’ abilities is intrinsically an appeal to their self-efficacy and control, which implies encouragement, care, or concern.
All random assignment procedures were conducted using a random number generator.
The names of these groups have been changed to protect confidentiality. For any excerpts included, specific members are not identified; instead, fictional names are used. Additionally, it appears that since the data were collected, one group has restricted its use to members only and one group has been disassembled.
Although the esteem support subcategories of “compliment” and “relief of blame” were removed per Bambina (2007), “validation” was considered a sub-category of emotional support.
Two-tailed tests were used in all analyses in order to detect any differences that were opposite of those predicted.
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Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank Steve Rains for guidance throughout the project and Alyssa Kata and Lu Wang for their work coding the messages. This project was aided by an undergraduate research grant from the University of Arizona Honors College.
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Keating, D.M. Spirituality and Support: A Descriptive Analysis of Online Social Support for Depression. J Relig Health 52, 1014–1028 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-012-9577-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-012-9577-x