Journal of Asian Pacific Communication
Volume 28, Issue 2, 2018, Pages 226-250

Social support and mental health: An analysis of online support forums for Asian immigrant women (Review) (Open Access)

Ki E.-J.* , Jang J.
  • a Department of Advertising and Public Relations, College of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Alabama, Box 870172, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0172, United States
  • b Department of Communication, University of California, Davis, 177 Kerr Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, United States

Abstract

Immigrants experience adversity and hardship in a new environment. These experiences negatively affect their psychological well-being. Online support forums are preferred channels to seek and receive social support for mental health issues. Accordingly, this study analyzed online support forums for Chinese and Korean immigrant women, focusing on different types of mental health problems, support-seeking strategies used, social support received and the relationships between them. Asian immigrant women with mental health problems primarily sought social support by sharing their personal experiences and received informational support "most". Informational support was most frequently offered for depression, anxiety disorder, and personality disorder, but emotional support was most frequently provided for impulse control. While informational support was most commonly offered with requests for information, emotional support was most repeatedly reported for statements of extreme behavior. © 2018 John Benjamins Publishing Company.

Author Keywords

Mental health Online support forums Social support Asian immigrant women

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85051533696&doi=10.1075%2fjapc.00011.ki&partnerID=40&md5=d08a848c31b1c168f7484ec0a9556857
DOI: 10.1075/japc.00011.ki
ISSN: 09576851
Original Language: English