ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2020
The Relationship Between Engagement in Online Support Groups and Social Isolation Among Military Caregivers: Longitudinal Questionnaire Study.
Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 27 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Empowering Role of Web-Based Help Seeking on Depressive Symptoms: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Pooled it
- A HOPE Online Community Peer Support Intervention for Help Seeking: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Psychiatric services (Washington, D.C.) · 2023Trial
- Online support groups for family caregivers: A qualitative exploration of social support and engagement.British journal of health psychology · 2025Article
- Impact of Informal Caregiving at Older Ages on Loneliness and Social Networks in Singapore.Gerontology · 2025Article
- Expatriation stressors and the well-being of accompanying partners: a commonality analysis approach.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Preparedness for Caregiving Role and Telehealth Use to Provide Informal Palliative Home Care in Portugal: A Qualitative Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Understanding the Impacts of Online Mental Health Peer Support Forums: Realist Synthesis.JMIR mental health · 2024Article
- Online Support Groups for Family Caregivers: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Article
- Prevalence of Mental Health and Social Connection among Patients Seeking Tobacco Dependence Management: A Pilot Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Risk of depression in family caregivers: unintended consequence of COVID-19.BJPsych open · 2020Article
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThere is a lack of research on the effectiveness of online peer support groups for reducing social isolation and depressive symptoms among caregivers, and previous research has mixed results.
objectiveThis study aimed to test whether military caregivers who joined a new online peer support community or engaged with an existing online community experienced decreased perceived social isolation and improved depressive symptoms over 6 months.
methodsWe conducted a longitudinal study of 212 military caregivers who had newly joined an online community and those who were members of other military caregiver groups. Multiple indicators of perceived social isolation and depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and at 3 and 6 months.
resultsCompared with caregivers in the comparison group, caregivers who joined the new group experienced less perceived social isolation at 3 months (eg, number of caregivers in social network [unstandardized regression coefficients] b=0.49, SE 0.19, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.02), but this effect did not persist at 6 months. Those who engaged more with new or existing groups experienced less perceived social isolation over time (eg, number of caregivers in social network b=0.18, SE 0.06, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.27), and this relationship was mediated by increased interactions with other military caregivers (95% CI 0.0046 to 0.0961). Engagement with an online group was not associated with improvements in depressive symptoms.
conclusionsOnline communities might help reduce social isolation when members engage with the group, but more intensive treatment is needed to improve depressive symptoms.
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