Facebook and Health Information: Content Analysis of Groups Related to Schizophrenia

: Athanasopoulou C, Sakellari E

: Mantas J, Hasman A, Househ MS

: International Conference on Informatics, Management, and Technology in Healthcare (ICIMTH)

Publisher: I O S PRESS, PO BOX 10558, BURKE, VA 22009-0558 USA

: 2015

Studies in Health Technology and Informatics

: Enabling Health Informatics Applications

: ENABLING HEALTH INFORMATICS APPLICATIONS

: STUD HEALTH TECHNOL

: 213

: 255

: 258

: 4

: 978-1-61499-537-1

: 0926-9630

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-538-8-255

Facebook Groups is a space for connecting people with common interests. People with a psychiatric diagnosis use social networking sites. However Facebook Groups related to schizophrenia have not been investigated before. We aimed to examine Facebook Groups related to schizophrenia. Deductive content analysis was applied. Out of the included groups (N=32), the majority's principal objective was awareness creation (n=11, 34%) and support to those with schizophrenia and their caregivers (n=9, 28%). Monitoring the Facebook Groups' content related to schizophrenia and other mental disorders is essential, since it could be an important communication and support platform for people with the disorder and their caregivers.