Cargando…

Explicit and implicit information needs of people with depression: a qualitative investigation of problems reported on an online depression support forum

BACKGROUND: Health management is impeded when consumers do not possess adequate knowledge about their illness. At a public health level, consumer knowledge about depression is particularly important because depression is highly prevalent and causes substantial disability and burden. However, current...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Barney, Lisa J, Griffiths, Kathleen M, Banfield, Michelle A
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: BioMed Central 2011
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3123271/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21592335
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-11-88
_version_ 1782206958174994432
author Barney, Lisa J
Griffiths, Kathleen M
Banfield, Michelle A
author_facet Barney, Lisa J
Griffiths, Kathleen M
Banfield, Michelle A
author_sort Barney, Lisa J
collection PubMed
description BACKGROUND: Health management is impeded when consumers do not possess adequate knowledge about their illness. At a public health level, consumer knowledge about depression is particularly important because depression is highly prevalent and causes substantial disability and burden. However, currently little is known about the information needs of people with depression. This study aimed to investigate the explicit and implicit information needs of users of an online depression support forum. METHODS: A sample of 2680 posts was systematically selected from three discussion forums on an online depression bulletin board (blueboard.anu.edu.au). Data were examined for evidence of requests for information (reflecting explicit needs) and reports of past or current problems (implicit needs). Thematic analysis was conducted using a data-driven inductive approach with the assistance of NVivo 7, and instances of questions and people reporting particular types of problems were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 134 participants with personal experience of depression contributed to the data analysed. Six broad themes represented participant queries and reported problems: Understanding depression; disclosure and stigma; medication; treatment and services; coping with depression; and comorbid health problems. A variety of specific needs were evident within these broad thematic areas. Some people (n = 46) expressed their information needs by asking direct questions (47 queries) but the majority of needs were expressed implicitly (351 problems) by the 134 participants. The most evident need for information related to coping with depression and its consequences, followed by topics associated with medication, treatment and services. CONCLUSIONS: People with depression have substantial unmet information needs and require strategies to deal with the difficulties they face. They require access to high quality and relevant online resources and professionals; thus, there is a need to rectify current gaps in the provision of information and limitations of dissemination. Greater knowledge about depression and its treatment is also needed at the general community level.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-3123271
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2011
publisher BioMed Central
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-31232712011-06-25 Explicit and implicit information needs of people with depression: a qualitative investigation of problems reported on an online depression support forum Barney, Lisa J Griffiths, Kathleen M Banfield, Michelle A BMC Psychiatry Research Article BACKGROUND: Health management is impeded when consumers do not possess adequate knowledge about their illness. At a public health level, consumer knowledge about depression is particularly important because depression is highly prevalent and causes substantial disability and burden. However, currently little is known about the information needs of people with depression. This study aimed to investigate the explicit and implicit information needs of users of an online depression support forum. METHODS: A sample of 2680 posts was systematically selected from three discussion forums on an online depression bulletin board (blueboard.anu.edu.au). Data were examined for evidence of requests for information (reflecting explicit needs) and reports of past or current problems (implicit needs). Thematic analysis was conducted using a data-driven inductive approach with the assistance of NVivo 7, and instances of questions and people reporting particular types of problems were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 134 participants with personal experience of depression contributed to the data analysed. Six broad themes represented participant queries and reported problems: Understanding depression; disclosure and stigma; medication; treatment and services; coping with depression; and comorbid health problems. A variety of specific needs were evident within these broad thematic areas. Some people (n = 46) expressed their information needs by asking direct questions (47 queries) but the majority of needs were expressed implicitly (351 problems) by the 134 participants. The most evident need for information related to coping with depression and its consequences, followed by topics associated with medication, treatment and services. CONCLUSIONS: People with depression have substantial unmet information needs and require strategies to deal with the difficulties they face. They require access to high quality and relevant online resources and professionals; thus, there is a need to rectify current gaps in the provision of information and limitations of dissemination. Greater knowledge about depression and its treatment is also needed at the general community level. BioMed Central 2011-05-18 /pmc/articles/PMC3123271/ /pubmed/21592335 http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-11-88 Text en Copyright ©2011 Barney et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
spellingShingle Research Article
Barney, Lisa J
Griffiths, Kathleen M
Banfield, Michelle A
Explicit and implicit information needs of people with depression: a qualitative investigation of problems reported on an online depression support forum
title Explicit and implicit information needs of people with depression: a qualitative investigation of problems reported on an online depression support forum
title_full Explicit and implicit information needs of people with depression: a qualitative investigation of problems reported on an online depression support forum
title_fullStr Explicit and implicit information needs of people with depression: a qualitative investigation of problems reported on an online depression support forum
title_full_unstemmed Explicit and implicit information needs of people with depression: a qualitative investigation of problems reported on an online depression support forum
title_short Explicit and implicit information needs of people with depression: a qualitative investigation of problems reported on an online depression support forum
title_sort explicit and implicit information needs of people with depression: a qualitative investigation of problems reported on an online depression support forum
topic Research Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3123271/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21592335
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-11-88
work_keys_str_mv AT barneylisaj explicitandimplicitinformationneedsofpeoplewithdepressionaqualitativeinvestigationofproblemsreportedonanonlinedepressionsupportforum
AT griffithskathleenm explicitandimplicitinformationneedsofpeoplewithdepressionaqualitativeinvestigationofproblemsreportedonanonlinedepressionsupportforum
AT banfieldmichellea explicitandimplicitinformationneedsofpeoplewithdepressionaqualitativeinvestigationofproblemsreportedonanonlinedepressionsupportforum