The life and times of an online support group: A South African case study

Health support groups have long assisted patients to deal with illnesses, but face-to-face support groups are not ubiquitously available, being generally confined to major cities. The Internet makes it possible to extend the reach of support groups, but the mode of communication between online and face-to-face groups is substantially different. This case study traces an online mental health support group from its inception through its development to its ongoing existence and compares it with a parallel face-to-face group. The successes and failures of the group are discussed, as are the benefits and limitations of the implementation. A comparison of the two is made, and recommendations for further work and research are noted.