title: Internet forums: a self-help approach for individuals with schizophrenia?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study if and how online self-help forums for individuals with schizophrenia are used.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed 1200 postings of 576 users in 12 international schizophrenia forums regarding communicative skills [fields of interest and self-help mechanisms (SHM)].
  
  
  RESULTS
  The forums were predominantly used by affected individuals, few relatives or friends. The fields of interest of the users concern daily problems of the illness like symptoms and emotional involvement with the illness. Self-help mechanisms mostly used are disclosure and providing information. Emotional interaction e.g. empathy or gratitude were comparatively rare.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individuals suffering from schizophrenia participate in online self-help forums using the same SHM, discussing similar topics as do individuals with other psychiatric disorders as well as not affected relatives and caregivers. Therefore, this tool seems to be a useful approach to cope with alienation and isolation, albeit only a small number of schizophrenia forums are found in the Internet.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric University Hospital, Research Unit for Clinical and Social Psychiatry, Zurich, Switzerland. haker@bli.unizh.ch
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haker
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lauber
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rössler
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D004644:Emotions; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D016896:Treatment Outcome