Social support and online health communities (OHCs): A systematic review

Abstract

As an increasing number of patients use online health communities (OHCs) for social support and also a number of studies have explored the system of social support in OHCs, hence the review of this social phenomenon is needed. The purpose of this review is to provide a systematic summary of the characteristics and key findings of social support research in OHCs. In searching relevant studies by the academic database of the Web of Science with set criteria, eleven among the eighty- five available studies published from 2013 to 2020 were retrieved for review. Cancer communities were the most frequently explored (five studies) and essentially all of the research articles revolved around the motivations, types and characteristics, and implications of social support in OHCs. With the rising prevalence of online social support in OHCs, this review can provide valuable references for researchers and practitioners, as well as some inspiration for the direction of subsequent research.