Publication
Online Support Groups for Family Caregivers: A Scoping Review (Preprint)
Publisher:
JMIR Publications Inc.
Date:
02-03-2023
DOI:
10.2196/PREPRINTS.46858
Abstract: he purpose of this present study was to conduct a scoping review to contribute to the understanding of the types and characteristics of online support groups (OSGs) for family caregivers. Over the last decade the number of OSGs increased exponentially, however there is not consensus on what factors or characteristics of OSG contribute to the development of social support within these groups or what types of OSG are available to family caregivers. Following the Prisma-ScR guidelines, 19 studies were included in the review. The findings explore (a) the social support groups are online for adult family caregivers (b) the communication medium and characteristics of these OSGs and (c) the psychosocial or other factors that made OSG successful or unsuccessful for participants. The analysis process generated two overarching categories of safe communication and engagement described groups with a focus on similar others and shared life experience shared in a non-judgemental space overseen by trained peer or professional facilitators. A general recommendation for practitioners is that it appears important to build in active moderation and multi-faceted structures of support to meet different levels of caregiver needs and ability to engage.