A framework for classifying online mental health related communities with an interest in depression

Mental illness has a deep impact on individuals, families, and by extension, society as a whole. Social networks allow individuals with mental disorders to communicate with others sufferers via online communities, providing an invaluable resource for studies on textual signs of psychological health problems. Mental disorders often occur in combinations, e.g., a patient with an anxiety disorder may also develop depression. This co-occurring mental health condition provides the focus for our work on classifying online communities with an interest in depression. For this, we have crawled a large body of 620,000 posts made by 80,000 users in 247 online communities. We have extracted the topics and psycho-linguistic features expressed in the posts, using these as inputs to our model. Following a machine learning technique, we have formulated a joint modelling framework in order to classify mental health-related co-occurring online communities from these features. Finally, we performed empirical validation of the model on the crawled dataset where our model outperforms recent state-of-the-art baselines

Youth and Digital Media: From Credibility to Information Quality

Building upon a process-and context-oriented information quality framework, this paper seeks to map and explore what we know about the ways in which young users of age 18 and under search for information online, how they evaluate information, and how their related practices of content creation, levels of new literacies, general digital media usage, and social patterns affect these activities. A review of selected literature at the intersection of digital media, youth, and information quality -- primarily works from library and information science, sociology, education, and selected ethnographic studies -- reveals patterns in youth's information-seeking behavior, but also highlights the importance of contextual and demographic factors both for search and evaluation. Looking at the phenomenon from an information-learning and educational perspective, the literature shows that youth develop competencies for personal goals that sometimes do not transfer to school, and are sometimes not appropriate for school. Thus far, educational initiatives to educate youth about search, evaluation, or creation have depended greatly on the local circumstances for their success or failure

The real-world implications of an imaginary world: A netnography of a Harry Potter based virtual community (Hogwarts Running Club)

The rapid development, growth, and diffusion of technology throughout the world today has spurred an integration with socializing and engagement that is fast becoming a part of everyday life (Baym, 2015; Blank, 2012; Consalvo & Ess, 2011). One such manifestation of this new form of social interaction is communities formed online or virtual communities (Ridings, Gefen, & Arinze, 2002). Virtual communities have been in existence for over thirty years (Ridings, Gefen, and Arinze, 2002) and existing studies of these communities have yielded powerful insights into learning, communication, marketing, relationships, benefits of participation, and more (Hiltz & Wellman, 1997; Mamonov, Koufaris, & Benbunan-Fich, 2016; Nimrod, 2014; Welbourne, Blanchard, & Boughton, 2009; Wellman & Gulia, 1999; Winkelman & Choo, 2003). However, there are still aspects of virtual communities about which little is known. Therefore, this study utilized the qualitative research technique of Netnography (Kozinets, 2010; 2015) to explore the experiences of participation in a virtual community and the meanings participants associate with membership in this group. Specific research questions focused on motivations, potential benefits, and potential implications for participants’ offline reality. The Hogwarts Running Club (HRC), a virtual community established in 2014 (HRC, 2017), on Facebook was the study setting. This Facebook group had approximately 16,000 members who engaged in online discussions and activities that focused around the Harry Potter book series and running (HRC, 2018a). The posts within the virtual community Great Hall (named for a location that is significant in the Harry Potter book series) served as the source of study data. As the researcher was a member of the HRC, four qualitative techniques were utilized to alleviate concerns surrounding “backyard” research (Glesne & Peshkin, 1992). These four techniques were member checking (Lincoln & Guba, 1985), prolonged engagement in the study setting (Creswell & Miller, 2000; Lincoln & Guba, 1985), peer debriefing (Creswell, 2009; Lincoln & Guba, 1985), and reflexive journaling (Genoe & Liechty, 2016; Walsh, 2003). Findings of the study have been presented as three manuscripts with unique foci. Sense of Community (McMillan & Chavis, 1986), Serious Leisure (Stebbins, 2007; 2012), and benefits and motivations each serve as the focus of a manuscript where implications for research and application have been discussed

Studying online support communities: Investigating network patterns and characteristics of social support

People’s activities on the internet have expanded from mainly retrieving information to communicating with each other in virtual settings. Thus, research investigating social interactions in online communities is becoming more and more important. However, the multi-faceted approaches of existing studies for the analysis of online communities make it difficult to combine the findings into a comprehensive understanding. This shows the need for holistic investigations of online communities. This thesis provides such a holistic approach by investigating a combination of different aspects of a selected online support community for older people. MOSuC (Model of Online Support Communities), a model describing the key aspects of online support communities was developed based on existing theories of computer-mediated communication (CMC) as well as theoretical perspectives on social support. Five studies were conducted, each addressing one of the different aspects of the case study community: (i) the message content, (ii) the conversations structure, (iii) the social network of related community members, (iv) the roles that online community members take on, and (vi) the taget population’s needs concerning the exchange of social support in online communities. The findings of these individual studies were then combined in context of MOSuC in order to provide a holistic description of the community. As a result, this thesis provides detailed insight into the characteristics of the case study community as well as the interplay and dependencies between different aspects of the community. Based on the integration of multiple studies, the thesis sheds light on two main issues: the characteristics of the individual aspects of the community as well as how these aspects are related to and affect each other. In addition to the findings of the studies, the thesis also contributes MOSuC, which serves both as a theoretical framework of the aspects of online support communities, as well as a practical tool for integrating the individual studies. In addition, the application, modification and integration of multiple methods in this thesis provide a novel methodological way for an integrative analysis of online support communities

Fostering social connections through internet use: visually impaired older people’s use of computer mediated communications

In today’s ICT dynamic society, questions continue on how internet use affects social relationships and well being. By building upon past work and conceptualising visually impaired older adults as a distinct user group, this research explored the perceptions of visually impaired older people concerning how they build and maintain social ties via Computer Mediated Communication (CMC). The research attempts to create an understanding of how internet use could be of benefit to visually impaired older adults and what implications it has for their social well being. The study employed tools of ethnography [observations in an internet café specifically for visually impaired people and semi structured interviews]. One to one and focus group interviews were conducted with 23 visually impaired older adults between the ages of 60 87 years. All participants were registered visually impaired members of a Voluntary organisation in Newcastle, UK. Findings show that participants mainly perceived the internet as a means to establish and maintain social relationships rather than a substitute for social contacts in the face of myriad challenges with socialisation offline. It also enabled them to challenge popular stereotypes about older people and use of new technologies. Many participants regarded internet use as a means to enhance social connectedness and overcome feeling isolated. Findings showed how internet use fits into the communication styles of visually impaired older people and enable them to cope with the challenges of vision loss. Some participants regarded the absence of visual cues in CMC as a communication advantage which afforded them a platform to socialise with others on an equal footing. The implication of findings for existing theoretical concepts of CMC and the need for a more inclusive theoretical stance which integrates the position of visually impaired users were discussed. The study concludes that the internet is a vital tool for social integration of visually impaired groups. It has potential for positive impact on their well being if accessibility is further enhanced

Themes and Participants’ Role in Online Health Discussion: Evidence From Reddit

Health-related topics are discussed widely on different social networking sites. These discussions and their related aspects can reveal significant insights and patterns that are worth studying and understanding. In this dissertation, we explore the patterns of mandatory and voluntary vaccine online discussions including the topics discussed, the words correlated with each of them, and the sentiment expressed. Moreover, we explore the role opinion leaders play in the health discussion and their impact on participation in a particular discussion. Opinion leaders are determined, and their impact on discussion participation is differentiated based on their different characteristics such as their connections and locations in the social network, their content, and their sentiment. We apply social network analysis, topic modeling, sentiment analysis, machine learning, econometric analysis, and other techniques to analyze the collected data from Reddit. The results of our analyses show that sentiment is an important factor in health discussion, and it varies between different types of discussions. In addition, we identified the main topics discussed for each vaccine. Furthermore, the results of our study found that global opinion leaders have more influence compared to local opinion leaders in elevating the health discussion. Our study has important theoretical and practical implications

Knowledge Modelling and Learning through Cognitive Networks

One of the most promising developments in modelling knowledge is cognitive network science, which aims to investigate cognitive phenomena driven by the networked, associative organization of knowledge. For example, investigating the structure of semantic memory via semantic networks has illuminated how memory recall patterns influence phenomena such as creativity, memory search, learning, and more generally, knowledge acquisition, exploration, and exploitation. In parallel, neural network models for artificial intelligence (AI) are also becoming more widespread as inferential models for understanding which features drive language-related phenomena such as meaning reconstruction, stance detection, and emotional profiling. Whereas cognitive networks map explicitly which entities engage in associative relationships, neural networks perform an implicit mapping of correlations in cognitive data as weights, obtained after training over labelled data and whose interpretation is not immediately evident to the experimenter. This book aims to bring together quantitative, innovative research that focuses on modelling knowledge through cognitive and neural networks to gain insight into mechanisms driving cognitive processes related to knowledge structuring, exploration, and learning. The book comprises a variety of publication types, including reviews and theoretical papers, empirical research, computational modelling, and big data analysis. All papers here share a commonality: they demonstrate how the application of network science and AI can extend and broaden cognitive science in ways that traditional approaches cannot

Trauma-centred identity and autobiographical memory in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Posttraumatic stress disorder is a prevalent and disabling disorder that can occur following experience of trauma. Contemporary clinical models of PTSD assert that memories for trauma are poorly elaborated and inadequately integrated into autobiographical memory (AM). Recent work of cognitive psychologists suggests, however, that trauma memories remain highly accessible and form a cognitive reference point for the organisation of autobiographical knowledge, leading to the development of trauma-centred identity. The current study sought to explore further the relationships between PTSD symptoms, the phenomenological properties of AM for trauma, and trauma-centred identity. A community sample of 82 participants (male, n = 24; mean age = 36.10 years, SD = 10.82) was recruited. A within-subjects, correlational design was employed. Participants completed online questionnaires relating to PTSD symptoms, the phenomenological properties of a trauma memory and negative memory, and centrality of event to identity. Participants also provided written narratives of both a trauma and negative event. Differences between traumatic and negative memories, and relationships between trauma memory features and both PTSD and centrality were assessed using computerised textual analysis and self-report measures. Results indicated that trauma memories were significantly less coherent, less detailed, and contained fewer spatial references but more cognitive process terms than negative memories. PTSD symptoms correlated significantly with fragmentation of trauma memories and with use of the present tense in trauma narratives. A sense of reliving when remembering trauma and use of present tense were both significantly associated with centrality of event. Results were thus primarily consistent with contemporary clinical theories of PTSD with certain 3 elements of the centrality position also demonstrated. Findings were discussed in relation to the study’s methodological limitations, including difficulties encountered through LIWC’s lack of consideration of context when counting lexical items. Theoretical implications regarding the measurement of constructs such as fragmentation were outlined. Findings supported current treatment guidelines

An evaluation of therapeutic alliance and outcome in an internet chat therapy service

Although the Internet has increasingly been the focus of research over the past decade, there have been relatively few studies about how the full variety of Internet communication tools can be used for the purpose of delivering psychological services. Much of the recent emphasis has been on web-based self-guided psychological interventions, where interactions with a psychologist are minimal (Amstadter, Broman-Fulks, Zinzow, Ruggiero, & Cercone, 2009; Spek, Cuijpers, Nyklicek, Riper, Keyzer, & Pop, 2007). A limited number of studies have investigated the processes and outcomes of psychological interventions applied over Internet chat communication (Cook & Doyle, 2002; King, Bambling, Reid, & Thomas, 2006a; Mallen, Day, & Green, 2003; Rassau & Arco, 2003); however, there has been a general tendency to avoid comparing these forms of intervention with face-to-face therapy (Anthony, 2000a). This has had the unfortunate consequence of placing the existing research beyond the reach of evidence-based practice, where various forms of intervention are compared and contrasted. The main goal of this research is to make a direct comparison of psychological processes and therapeutic outcomes when the same group of therapists deliver psychological interventions to clients over both Internet chat and face-to-face therapy.A mixed quantitative and qualitative approach was utilised to integrate findings from outcome measures with the subjective report of clients and therapists who undertook Internet chat therapy. A team of 20 therapists provided psychological services to clients who self-selected either face-to-face or Internet chat therapy. Both therapists and clients completed measures for symptom severity and the therapeutic alliance at the first and third session. Therapeutic alliance was measured using the client, therapist and observer rated versions of the CALPAS, while symptom severity was measured using the BSI and SCL-90 Analogue. The final sample consisted of 17 matched pairs of Internet and face-to-face therapy cases, with 3 additional cases where the therapist was only able to obtain an Internet case for the data. The hypotheses of this study predicted that symptom severity would decrease and that the therapeutic alliance would increase over 3 sessions in both treatment modalities. It was also hypothesised that face-to-face therapy would outperform Internet chat therapy on each measure.Results of ANOVA analyses supported all hypotheses related to improvement over the first 3 sessions of treatment, with the exception of therapist-rated symptom severity. There was a strong main effect for client-rated alliance, increasing significantly at the same rate in both treatment groups: F(1,35) = 23.021, p < .001, partial 2 = .397, Cohen’s d = 1.15. There was also a strong main effect for client-rated symptom severity across both groups over the first 3 sessions of treatment: F(1,35) = 15.191, p < .001, partial 2 = .303, Cohen’s d = .92. Results for ANOVA analyses comparing treatment modalities did not identify statistically significant differences, with the exception of significantly higher alliances rated by clients receiving Internet chat therapy: F(1,35) = 6.972, p = .012, partial 2 = .166, Cohen’s d = .76. In addition to statistically significant change, an analysis for clinically significant change was also undertaken (Jacobson & Traux, 1991). Results of this analysis showed that there were only minor differences between groups at both the first and third session. In the Internet chat therapy group 10% of cases were ‘improved’ and 5% were classed as ‘recovered’. In the face-to-face therapy group, 11.8% were categorised as ‘improved’ and 5.9% classed as being ‘recovered. In summary, there were relatively few measurable differences between these modes of service delivery.Qualitative data generated from interviews at the conclusion of Internet chat therapy showed the importance of therapeutic distance for people who select this form of treatment. Clients described how the distant way of communicating to a psychologist over Internet chat led to a more personal experience for them. Therapists described the challenge of understanding the emotions of their client when relying on the written word alone. Clients and therapists also described the formation of mental images of the other party and the role this had in terms of constructing a sense of interaction with the other person. The formation of mental images had an influence on the quality of the working alliance that developed, with both clients and therapists being generally satisfied with the therapeutic relationship overall.Despite the widespread public use of Internet chat, this popular form of communication has received very little attention from researchers. The results of this study are promising in that they demonstrate that positive clinical outcomes are associated with client interactions with psychologists offering services over this modality. With meta-analytic reviews showing that larger treatment effects are associated with web-based interventions where there is greater therapist involvement (Barak, Hen, Boniel-Nissim, & Shapira, 2008; Spek et al., 2007), the present study raises questions about whether Internet chat could be utilised more broadly as a mode of service delivery. This study provides a detailed first glimpse at how real-time written communication over the Internet could be used for psychotherapeutic purposes