Posted by djmmm on August 5, 2003, at 19:20:18
In reply to Re: please be civil, posted by stjames on August 5, 2003, at 17:35:08
> what I object to is the consequences of blocking someone from a certain "therapy" (which I believe this board provides).
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> Not according to the info you sign off on when you sign up.My definition of "therapy" differs from yours... This site does indeed provide a certain therapy, and to deny that fact is your opinion. And we are all entitled to our own opinions. If this forum has never provided you ANY useful information or help,(whether through personal stories, etc) then, you wouldn't be part of this community.
Self-help groups, group therapy, on-line forum support....semantics. This site, whether you agree with me or not, was intended for
dissemination of personal information, life experiences, dealing with medications...It is a group forum, providing a mental health service "Online Self-Help Group" note Dr. Hsiung's title, and abstractThe Best of Both Worlds
Reference:
Hsiung, RC. (2001). The Best of Both Worlds: An Online Self-Help Group Hosted by a Mental Health Professional. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 3 (6), 935-950.Abstract:
Online mental health groups can be classified as autonomous self-help groups or support groups led by mental health professionals. An online self-help group hosted by a mental health professional, in which the mental health professional focuses on maintaining the supportive milieu and the members of the group focus on providing the support for each other, is hypothesized to combine the best of both worlds. Psycho-Babble, a group of this type hosted by the author, serves as an example. Between January and August 2000, 1,516 members posted 21,230 messages in 3,028 discussion threads. Forty-eight percent of posters posted just once. Thirteen percent of threads consisted of only the initial post. In July 2000, 534,219 Psycho-Babble pages were served. Samples of educational and supportive posts, misinformation, "Internet addiction," help-rejecting, limit-setting, and member feedback are given. The usage statistics and the anecdotal evidence of the posts themselves support the effectiveness of the group. The hypothesized key ingredients are discussed. The asynchronous online (message board) format is highly usable and makes the group accessible and safe. Drawbacks, however, are the potential for "multiple identities" and the technical difficulty of effectively preventing determined individuals from gaining at least temporary entry into the group. This hybrid type of group combines the best of the two worlds of self-help (empowerment) and leadership by a mental health professional (maintenance of the supportive milieu).
poster:djmmm
thread:247632
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20030508/msgs/248377.html