April 7-9, 2022 • Hyatt Regency • Lexington, KY
Communication Strategies to Promote Comprehensive Well-being
Communication Strategies to Promote Comprehensive Well-being
Abstract: The Role of Electronic Support Groups on Contested Health Conditions: Informing Health Communication to Promote Well-being
Contested illnesses are chronic conditions with sometimes ambiguous symptoms, and individuals with contested illnesses often struggle with finding validation and even effective treatment from health care providers. With sometimes limited and contradictory health care options for contested illness patients, many people turn to online spaces to find communities of support and answers. In fact, patients who have used electronic support groups (ESGs) have been able to find various types of social support (Smedley et al., 2015). Although extant research have helped to highlight the value of ESGs for coping with contested illnesses, little is known about whether there are similarities in ways in which ESG users interact across various contested illnesses. Most studies to date have focused on a single contested illness. Additionally, there is a lack of research that explores patient conversations surrounding what is helpful and unhelpful in terms of provider communication about contested illnesses. This information would be important for interdisciplinary health team members who are interested in supporting and promoting the well-being of patients in their desire to take control of their illness, in understanding where patients are seeking information, and in clearing up misinformation that patients may be receiving online. The objectives of this study are to 1) explore similarities across a variety of contested illnesses in how individuals use electronic support groups to communicate with one another, and 2) understand how electronic support group communication helps to inform interdisciplinary health care teams to promote patient well-being. I conducted a qualitative analysis of public discussion posts from electronic support groups from several major contested illnesses. A total of 1,200 posts were collected, consisting of the 300 most-commented posts made in the most heavily used contested illness groups or “subreddits” on Reddit (irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and chronic fatigue syndrome) made during the year 2019. Once posts were entered in NVivo, two coders began open coding (Corbin & Strauss, 1990) and developed memos (Tracy, 2013) from emerging themes. Five major themes appeared across all four subreddit groups, including 1) asking questions or asking for advice, 2) venting, 3) sharing information, 4) humor, and 5) sharing positivity and support. This project provides several contributions to theory, practice, and methodology. It considers multiple contested illnesses in an online space and enhances our understanding of the social construction and medicalization of contested illnesses. This research shows how laypeople are defining their own medical problems and influencing medicalization through the use of online spaces, which can help sufferers to connect with others but also help health teams in communicating with patients. This work also shows how sufferers of contested illnesses seek social support and reduce stress. Lastly, this study is unique in that it applies a communication perspective, as extant research have primarily come from sociology and medical disciplines. This perspective can provide scholars and practitioners with valuable insights and suggestions for better health care communication to promote the well-being of patients.