Community attachment and emotional well-being

An empirical study of an online community for people with diabetes

Bibliographic Data

ID21595986
AuthorsPhilip F Wu (0000-0001-6408-1653, Royal Holloway University of London), Roberta Bernardi (0000-0001-9983-2058, University of Bristol)
Year2021
Volume34
Issue7
Pages1949-1975
Publication date2021-11-18
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInformation Technology and People (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0959-3845 • E-ISSN: 1758-5813
PublisherEmerald (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1108/itp-06-2019-0293
OpenAlexW3094400651
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited90

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate how community attachment to an OHC reduces the OHC users' emotional distress and therefore improves their emotional well-being. Design/methodology/approach A survey study was conducted in one of the largest online health communities (OHC) for people with diabetes. Findings OHC participants are likely to experience reduced emotional distress when they have developed an attachment to the community. This attachment is, in turn, positively associated with the normative expectations of reciprocity and the affective feeling of gratitude. However, some commonly used behavioral measures of community participation, such as visit frequency and membership tenure, have little to do with either community attachment or reduced emotional distress. Research limitations/implications The research highlights the pivotal role of community attachment in appraising the much-debated benefits of OHCs. However, the cross-sectional survey study has its limitations in terms of establishing causality. Practical implications OHC managers need to look beyond some of the commonly used metrics, such as monthly visits and number of new postings, and focus on fostering a sense of attachment among existing users in order to fulfill the OHC's potential of emotional support. Our study implies that design features facilitating reciprocation and gratitude expression among users can lead to a strong emotional bond. Originality/value This is one of the first studies on the antecedents of community attachment and the relationship between community attachment and emotional distress in the context of OHC

Developmental psychology · Distress · Emotional expression · Feeling · Gratitude · Normative · Originality · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Clinical Psychology · Mental Health and Patient Involvement · Mental Health via Writing · Psychology · Social Psychology

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