Investigating the beneficial experiences of online peer support for those affected by alopecia: an interpretative phenomenological analysis using online interviews

Iliffe, L.L. and Thompson, A.R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6788-7222 2019. Investigating the beneficial experiences of online peer support for those affected by alopecia: an interpretative phenomenological analysis using online interviews. British Journal of Dermatology 181 (5) , pp. 992-998. 10.1111/bjd.17998

PDF - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial. Download (134kB)

Abstract

Background Those affected by alopecia are at risk of experiencing a range of psychosocial consequences. Alopecia UK provides online peer support via facilitated Facebook pages. Online peer support has been found to provide a variety of benefits in other long‐term conditions, such as providing information and emotional support. Objectives This study sought to gain an experiential account as to how online support provides benefit to people living with alopecia. Methods A purposive sample of 12 participants was recruited directly from Alopecia UK's Facebook group. A total of 11 were diagnosed with alopecia and one participant was a family member of someone with alopecia. The qualitative approach of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to guide data collection and analysis. Participants took part in online synchronous interviews, which drew on review of participant‐selected screenshots of online activity. Results Four themes were identified, including ‘gradual healing’, ‘image concern’, ‘belonging’ and ‘new identity and self‐acceptance’. The participants made use of the group through expressing emotion, finding practical advice, and also as a place to connect and share experiences. Participants also reported that the online support facilitated the return of social confidence. Conclusions This study provides a detailed understanding as to how online peer support groups can be beneficial. Online groups have the potential to create a feeling of belonging, which can develop a sense of being accepted and understood and as such can be important in maintaining psychological well‐being. The findings indicate that online groups have the potential to be used as a platform for assisting people in developing both effective coping styles and feeling understood, and such platforms warrant further investment by healthcare professionals.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Psychology
Additional Information:	This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License
Publisher:	Wiley
ISSN:	0007-0963
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	28 April 2021
Date of Acceptance:	2 April 2019
Last Modified:	04 May 2023 20:18
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/140690

Citation Data

Cited 9 times in Scopus. View in Scopus. Powered By Scopus® Data

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item