Community Structure of a Mental Health Internet Support Group: Modularity in User Thread Participation.

Background: Little is known about the community structure of mental health Internet support groups, quantitatively. A greater understanding of the factors, which lead to user interaction, is needed to explain the design information of these services and future research concerning their utility.

Objective: A study was conducted to determine the characteristics of users associated with the subgroup community structure of an Internet support group for mental health issues.

From Help-Seekers to Influential Users: A Systematic Review of Participation Styles in Online Health Communities.

Background: Understanding how people participate in and contribute to online health communities (OHCs) is useful knowledge in multiple domains. It is helpful for community managers in developing strategies for building community, for organizations in disseminating information about health interventions, and for researchers in understanding the social dynamics of peer support.

Objective: We sought to determine if any patterns were apparent in the nature of user participation across online health communities.

Non-fatal self-poisoning in Sri Lanka: associated triggers and motivations.

Background: Attempted or non-fatal self-poisoning is common in Sri Lanka. To date, most preventive strategies have focused on limitation of access to toxic pesticides, which has reduced the rates of fatal self-poisoning. However the ongoing phenomenon of non-fatal self-poisoning indicates the need for exploration of alternate preventive strategies.

An Online, Moderated Peer-to-Peer Support Bulletin Board for Depression: User-Perceived Advantages and Disadvantages.

Background: Online, peer-to-peer support groups for depression are common on the World Wide Web and there is some evidence of their effectiveness. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which Internet support groups (ISGs) might work.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate consumer perceptions of the benefits and disadvantages of online peer-to-peer support by undertaking a content analysis of the spontaneous posts on BlueBoard, a well-established, moderated, online depression bulletin board.

Characteristics of non-fatal self-poisoning in Sri Lanka: a systematic review.

Background: The rate of non-fatal self-poisoning in Sri Lanka has increased in recent years, with associated morbidity and economic cost to the country. This review examines the published literature for the characteristics and factors associated with non-fatal self-poisoning in Sri Lanka.

Methods: Electronic searches were conducted in Psychinfo, Proquest, Medline and Cochrane databases from inception to October 2011.

Security considerations for e-mental health interventions.

Security considerations are an often overlooked and underfunded aspect of the development, delivery, and evaluation of e-mental health interventions although they are crucial to the overall success of any eHealth project. The credibility and reliability of eHealth scientific research and the service delivery of eHealth interventions rely on a high standard of data security. This paper describes some of the key methodological, technical, and procedural issues that need to be considered to ensure that eHealth research and intervention delivery meet adequate security standards.