Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affects mental health due to prolonged quarantine. Online support groups offer vital social and informational support during crises. This study aims to conduct a systematic literature review of current literature about online support group during pandemic, and to examine the research gap, promote engagement with (in)accurate health information, and to explore additional benefits of the online support group. We searched with the keyword in three databases from 2020 to 2023, resulting in 15 number of articles. The information extracted from the 15 studies includes county, target group, platform, purpose of the group, study design, measure, and results. This systematic review showed that with different participants and different orientations, online support groups played an effective role in reducing psychological distress and increasing connectedness during the pandemic. This study contributes to the understanding of the effectiveness of online peer support group during a public health crisis. Additionally, this current review encourages re-thinking the benefits of an online support group on belongings, cohesion, and job/academic performance. This will allow us to picture the complexity of components and effects included in the online support group and to highlight additional benefits of this online communication format.
Department/Program
Social Work
Submission Type
in-person poster
Date
3-8-2024
Rights
Copyright the Author(s)
Recommended Citation
Sun, Naishuo and Jia, Xinle
(2024)
"Using online support group to Cope During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review,"
SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days: Vol. 2024, Article 144.
Available at:
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/sacad/vol2024/iss2024/144
Included in
Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons, Social Work Commons