Paul Marshall, Millissa Booth, Matthew Coole, Lauren Fothergill, Zoe Glossop, Jade Haines, Andrew Harding, Rose Johnston, Steven Jones, Christopher Lodge, Karen Machin, Rachel Meacock, Kristi Nielson, Jo-Anne Puddephatt, Tamara Rakic, Paul Rayson, Heather Robinson, Jo Rycroft-Malone, Nick Shryane, Zoe Swithenbank, Sara Wise, Fiona Lobban
BACKGROUND: Online forums are widely used for mental health peer support. However, evidence of their safety and effectiveness is mixed. Further research focused on articulating the contexts in which positive and negative impacts emerge from forum use is required to inform innovations in implementation. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop a realist program theory to explain the impacts of online mental health peer support forums on users. METHODS: We conducted a realist synthesis of literature published between 2019 and 2023 and 18 stakeholder interviews with forum staff...
May 9, 2024: JMIR Mental Health