Do Bloggers Have Better Mental Health? The Social, Cognitive, and Psychological Benefits of Blogging in Emerging Adulthood.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal processes by which blogging-related disclosure is linked to mental health. It was hypothesized that blogging had both social and cognitive benefits, including greater perceived social support and fewer memory slips, which were then associated with better mental health. METHODS: A total of 194 emerging adults were recruited three times at approximately three months apart. Participants filled out a self-report about their blogging activities and perceived benefits, social support, memory, and mental health at each time point. RESULTS: Path analysis indicated that perceived blogging-related benefits, needs, and traits mediated the relation between frequency of blogging and social support and memory slips, respectively. Moreover, social support marginally predicted greater mental health, whereas memory slips predicted poorer mental health, after controlling for baseline mental health, age, and gender. CONCLUSIONS: This study established the longitudinal associations between blogging and its benefits that may be vital for emerging adults' mental health.

Challenge your Brain. Blogging during the COVID Lockdown as a Way to Enhance Well-Being and Cognitive Reserve in an Older Population.

BACKGROUND: The lockdown linked with COVID-19 restrictions has been reported to have severe consequences at an emotional and cognitive level, this was especially true for vulnerable populations, such as the older adults. This study aims at exploring the effect of a blog-based intervention implemented during COVID lockdown to increase the perceived well-being and cognitive reserve (CR) of a sample of American older adults. METHODS: Forty-one participants (63% female), age range from 64 to 83, participated in a blog-based 5-week intervention. Their level of well-being as well as cognitive reserve were assessed before and after the intervention with specific scales. Participants were matched by age, gender and education level to a quasi-equivalent control group living in the same area who was tested on the same variables. RESULTS: Results showed a significant increase in both perceived well-being and CR in the intervention group. A significant difference was also found when comparing the intervention group to the matched controls.

Blogging with dementia: Writing about lived experience of dementia in the public domain.

Public narratives around dementia have historically been negative, and have not been shaped by people with dementia themselves, but stories of living with dementia are becoming more common in the public domain. This qualitative study explored the motivations and experiences of bloggers by conducting interviews with six bloggers with dementia in the UK. Thematic analysis suggested that the asynchronous nature of blogging offered a valuable, personalised space for people with dementia to tell their own stories in their own way. Blogging as a format posed some practical challenges, but bloggers developed strategies to overcome these. Motivations for blogging were on three levels: the personal (as a journal, and as a 'room of one's own'); community (as solidarity for other people with dementia, and as comfort for families and friends) and society (as an educational and campaigning tool). Whilst the study is small, and there are many voices of people with dementia missing from the blogging community, this research demonstrates the potential for blogging by people with dementia to change public narratives and perceptions of dementia.

Potential of podcasting and blogging in cultivating Iranian advanced EFL learners' reading comprehension.

This study explores the potential of podcasting and blogging in cultivating advanced EFL learners' reading comprehension (RC) gains, as well as their perceptions of their effectiveness in improving their RC gains. For this purpose, three intact female classes (n = 20) were selected using a convenience sampling method from Pooyesh Language Center in Borujerd City, Iran. Then, they were randomly assigned into three groups, including the podcasting group, blogging group, and control group. Afterward, they went through a pre-test, an intervention (12 one-hour sessions held twice a week), and a post-test. For disclosing their perceptions, 10 students of the experimental groups were requested to fill out a reflective written statement about the potential of podcasting and blogging in improving their RC gains. A one-way ANOVA and a thematic coding analysis were used to analyze the collected data. Findings revealed that the podcasting and blogging groups outweighed the control group at the end of the treatments. Additionally, the results evidenced that there was no statistically significant difference between the podcasting and blogging groups. The qualitative findings disclosed that the participants had positive perceptions toward using podcasting and blogging in developing RC. Finally, the implications for L2 teachers and L2 learners are discussed.

Podcasts de divulgação científica: levantamento exploratório dos formatos de programas brasileiros / Science communication podcasts: exploratory research of Brazilian program formats / Podcasts de divulgación científica: investigación exploratoria de formatos de programas brasileños

A pesquisa apresentada neste artigo foi realizada com o objetivo de estudar os formatos de podcasts brasileiros de divulgação científica e identificar quais estilos são predominantes nessa produção de conteúdo. O estudo se caracteriza como um levantamento exploratório, que procurou sistematizar o objeto estudado usando uma abordagem qualiquantitativa. No levantamento da pesquisa foram identificados 69 podcasts, dos quais 37 foram selecionados para análise. Os critérios para a seleção foram popularidade, regularidade na publicação e longevidade. Ao todo, foram ouvidos 109 episódios. O resultado da pesquisa apontou que, dos formatos de podcast encontrados, o bate-papo ou mesacast é o principal modelo adotado seguido da entrevista e a maior parte das produções tem sido realizada por universidades ou cientistas independentes.

The research presented in this article aimed to study the formats of Brazilian podcasts for science communication and to identify which styles are most prevalent in this content production. The study is based on an exploratory research, which sought to systematize the studied object, by means of a qualitative and quantitative approach. It was identified in the research a total of 69 podcasts, 37 of which were selected for analysis. The selection criteria were popularity, regularity of publication and longevity. A total of 109 episodes were heard. The research showed that chat (also known as mesacast) stands out from all the other formats, followed by the interview, and that the most of the productions have been carrying out by universities or independent scientists.

La investigación presentada en este artículo ha sido realizada con el objetivo de estudiar los formatos de los podcasts brasileños para la divulgación científica e de identificar cuáles estilos que más prevalecen en esta producción de contenidos. La investigación se caracteriza por ser una búsqueda exploratoria, que ha procurado sistematizar el objeto estudiado, valiéndose de un enfoque cualitativo y cuantitativo. En la investigación, se identificaron 69 podcasts, 37 de los cuales fueron seleccionados para análisis. Los criterios de selección fueron popularidad, regularidad de publicación y longevidad. Un total de 109 episodios fueron escuchados. El resultado de la investigación mostró que, de los formatos de podcast encontrados, se destaca el chat o mesacast, seguido de la entrevista. La mayoría de las producciones actualmente es realizada por universidades o científicos independientes.

Experiences of Blogging About Visible and Long-term Skin Conditions: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Skin conditions can detract from people's quality of life, much like conditions such as cancer, chronic pain, and depression. Visible skin conditions can lead to risk of stigmatization. It is acknowledged that there is a lack of available psychosocial support for people living with chronic skin conditions. One way in which individuals with long-term conditions are self-managing and providing peer support is through blogging and exchanging information on the web. To date, no research has specifically investigated how individuals with skin conditions experience the use blogging for self-management. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to investigate the experiences of individuals with visible, long-term skin conditions when blogging about their conditions. METHODS: A systematic blog search and a short survey were used for recruitment. A total of 4 participants took part in email interviews, which were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Skin conditions included alopecia, psoriasis, and hirsutism. The content of these individuals' blogs was also analyzed using a qualitative template method derived from the IPA analysis. RESULTS: The interviews and accounts revealed a clear sense of uncertainty about the course of the bloggers' skin conditions. This appeared to be associated with feelings of distress and isolation, searching for treatments, and ultimately a sense of defeat. The data revealed that blogging provided a space where this sense of defeat was managed and challenged. Posting on the web facilitated connection with others and enabled support networks to be established that assisted in challenging the feelings of isolation experienced. The data demonstrate the important role that blogging played for these participants in developing a sense of acceptance of their condition. CONCLUSIONS: Blogging may provide a way for individuals to self-manage distress associated with visible skin conditions. It may provide similar benefits to those known to be derived from emotional disclosure that occurs during writing, with an added peer support dimension. Blogging has occurred naturalistically on web-based forums, and this study demonstrates how this form of interaction may warrant adaptation for use with web-based psychosocial interventions for people living with skin conditions. This study had a limited sample of 4 bloggers; therefore, further exploration would be needed to consider the utility of this approach.

The essence of healthcare records: embedded electronic health record system microblogging functionality for patient care narrative.

INTRODUCTION: Electronic health record (EHR) systems capture information relating to patients across many specialties but can be complex, making rapid evaluation and communication of current important issues difficult. METHODS: As part of a children's hospital EHR implementation, we developed and implemented an embedded microblogging platform to allow users to provide a short summary of main issues or actions relating to the encounter, 'Essence' capturing the essence of the interaction. We reviewed usage by specialty and user type over a 1-year period. RESULTS: Ninety-one thousand, nine-hundred and fifty Essence entries were committed across 49 specialty areas during a 12-month period, April 2019 - April 2020. The specialties with greatest usage were cardiology, neurosurgery, intensive care, respiratory medicine and neurology, with 70% of entries by nursing staff. The median number of words used per entry was 17 words (range 1-120; mean 20.7), and microblogs were mainly used to describe actions, events or planned care. Manual content analysis of 200 representative entries demonstrated categories of importance (including clinical status, treatment plan, investigations, procedures and diagnoses) suggesting appropriate clinical utility. CONCLUSION: Incorporation of an embedded EHR microblogging platform to capture key interactions with healthcare professionals represents a novel approach to coordinating care communication and is widely used across specialties, especially by nursing staff.

"You have people here to help you, people like me." A Qualitative Analysis of a Blogging Intervention for Adolescents and Young Adults with Depression or Anxiety.

Blogging in the lay community has been shown to be a popular means of expression for all ages exhibiting mental illness symptoms. With the recent rise of mental illness rates among adolescents, blogging in a space specifically designated to discuss mental health topics for adolescents could potentially be beneficial for this demographic. In order to reveal whether or not blogging has positive effects on adolescents and young adults, we created a moderated, anonymous eHealth intervention for those in this demographic experiencing depression and/or anxiety symptoms. This intervention, called Supporting Our Valued Adolescents (SOVA), allows a safe place for participants ages 14-26 (inclusive) to read, write, and comment on blog posts regarding various mental health topics. In this paper, we analyze 40 SOVA blog posts and their corresponding comments written by 18 participants over a six-month period to see if actively engaging on the website was beneficial for their mental health. These posts and comments were analyzed on their degree of self-disclosure, regulatory and interpersonal support, acknowledgement of others, and reader feedback. We found that the content analyzed implied that blogging had a positive effect on participants using this online intervention.

Factors Influencing Physicians' Continuous Blogging: A Survey.

BACKGROUND: Health information can be more easily transmitted and diffused through the Internet, but questionable online health information often misinforms patients. Physicians have a duty to inform patients how to achieve positive health outcomes. Many physicians often write blogs to provide patients with the right health information. However, most articles available on this subject only describe the blog phenomena without providing a theoretical background and an empirical analysis of doctors using blogs. METHODS: This study based on social cognitive theory (SCT) explores the factors influencing physicians' intention of continuously blogging. A total of 887 physician bloggers were invited to participate in an online survey and 128 valid responses were received. RESULTS: The SCT was proven to be useful in explaining 36.8% of the variation in physicians' continuous intention to blog. CONCLUSIONS: We provide references for platform developers with different strategies to motivate doctors to blog, and the implications and limitations of this study are discussed.

Experience of Peer Bloggers Using a Social Media Website for Adolescents With Depression or Anxiety: Proof-of-Concept Study.

BACKGROUND: Supporting Our Valued Adolescents (SOVA) is a moderated and anonymous social media website intervention. SOVA ambassadors are adolescents and young adults (AYA) asked to write monthly blog posts and comments on others' posts on topics surrounding mental health. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to understand the feasibility and acceptability of peer blogging for a moderated mental health intervention website and explore whether bloggers-AYA who self-report symptoms of depression and anxiety-experience potential benefits. METHODS: AYA aged 14 to 26 years with a self-reported history of depression or anxiety were recruited to the SOVA Peer Ambassador Program. Participants were asked to write one blog post a month and comment at least four times a month on other blog posts, for which they were compensated for up to US $15 monthly. Outcome variables measured at baseline and 3 months after intervention included website usability and feasibility, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, mental health treatment history, cybercoping, personal blogging style, self-esteem, loneliness, mental health stigma, social support, and positive youth development characteristics. Open-ended questions were asked about their blogging acceptability and usability. RESULTS: Of 66 AYA showing interest and completing onboarding, 71% (47/66) wrote at least one blog post, with an average of 3 posts per person. A sample of 51% (34/66) of participants completed a 3-month survey for the full analysis. Almost all 34 participants were satisfied with the experience of blogging (32/34, 94%) and rated the website usability as good (80.1, SD 14.9). At 3 months, self-esteem scores increased by 2.1, with a small-medium effect size (P=.01; Cohen d=0.45), and youth competence and confidence increased by 0.7 (P=.002) and 1.3 (P=.002), with medium effect sizes (Cohen d=0.62 and 0.60), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A blogging intervention for AYA with a history of depression or anxiety was feasible with regular and active engagement and shows evidence in a one-sample design for positive changes in strength-based assets-self-esteem, competence, and confidence-which map onto resilience.

What the blogosphere has to say about adult tonsillectomy.

OBJECTIVES: Tonsillectomy has generated extensive comment on the internet, but this content has not been examined in a scientific manner. This study aimed to determine what the blogosphere has to say about adult tonsillectomy and to report whether this information can be used to improve post-surgical care. METHODS: The internet was searched to find personal blogs relating to tonsillectomy. A retrospective review of data collected on these blogs was carried out and the blogs were conceptually analysed by the authors. RESULTS: Fifty blogs were included. Seventy per cent of patients had read blogs prior to their procedure. The average pain score where available was 7.2. Complications occurred in 10 per cent of patients. Only 1 patient (2 per cent) regretted having a tonsillectomy. CONCLUSION: It is important for otolaryngologists to stay in tune with the blogosphere as this unregulated and easily accessible source of information is both friend and foe but will ultimately help in pre-operative counselling and post-operative management.

The potential contribution of bloggers to change lifestyle and reduce plastic use and pollution: A small data approach.

Awareness raising and public engagement are key steps towards the reduction of demand, use and pollution related to plastic in everyday life. However, people not already active in this respect, nor seeking information about, may remain excluded from the main information flow. We therefore involved a professional blogger-posting on family lifestyle and travel with children- in the preparation of six thematic posts, each one dealing with a specific plastic-related topic. Given the size and the target of the initiative, results were considered in a small data approach: social-media parameters such as reaches and engagements overall aligned with blog followers' expected response in terms of engagement rates. However, high fluctuations were recorded, depending on the post topic. Such potential to reach blog readers and to highlight gaps at fine scale is encouraging the collaborations of professional bloggers with thematic campaigns, developed together with specialists of the topics considered.

Understanding first cervical screening experiences using narrative analysis of online blogs: a medical student perspective.

One in three women invited to their first cervical smear test in the United Kingdom do not attend. As a third-year medical student, I undertook a scholarly project module where I conducted narrative analysis of three blogs to understand the experiences of some women attending their first cervical smear. Three plots were drawn out of these narratives: the cervical smear as a rite-of-passage, the discrepancy between expectations and reality, and a collaborative approach to cervical screening. These insights could be used by general practitioners seeking to improve screening uptake. No negative stories could be found in the initial search, demonstrating poor 'tellability' of these narratives. Blog material was found to be accessible for research and narrative analysis could enable the development of patient-centredness and empathy in medical students.

Impact of experience of psychiatrists and psychiatry residents regarding electronic communication and social networking on internet use patterns: a questionnaire survey for developing e-professionalism in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: The development of technology, novel communication, and social networking can positively or negatively affect the therapeutic alliance between patients and psychiatrists. We conducted this study to identify Internet use patterns of psychiatrists and psychiatry residents in South Korea and to provide basic data for developing e-professionalism. METHODS: In this questionnaire survey included a total of 250 participants, of which 195 (78%) completed the questionnaire. Questions included demographics, use of email, web searches, personal and professional use of websites and social networking, and negative and positive experiences of electronic communication and social networking. We confirmed the correlation between experience and use patterns of psychiatrists' electronic communication and social networking. RESULTS: A total of 129 participants (66.2%) reported that they posted their personal or professional content online, 112 (57.9%) had received patients' requests through electronic communication or social networking, and 120 (61.4%) had communicated with patients via electronic communication or social networking. In total, 170 participants (87.2%) reported that they were worried about the negative consequences of using electronic communication and social networking, and 180 (92.3%) indicated they were not educated about electronic communication or social networking. CONCLUSION: In order to reduce the negative effects of electronic communication and social networking, we need guidelines that are appropriate for the situation in South Korea. Furthermore, future research will need to identify and suggest solutions for negative experiences of electronic communication and social networking that may affect the relationship between patients and physicians.

Tweeting the meeting: an analysis of Twitter activity at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Scientific Congress from 2015 to 2018.

BACKGROUND: Twitter has been shown to expand the audience and impact of material discussed at medical conferences, however, this phenomenon has not been analysed at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Scientific Congress. The purpose of this study is to document the amount of Twitter activity at the Annual Scientific Congress, and to describe the way delegates use Twitter. METHODS: The number of tweets, retweets and contributors from the 2015 to 2018 congresses were determined using the Twitter advanced search function. Tweets were categorized broadly as academic, social or promotional. Union Metrics, an online software, was used to calculate estimates of impact including impressions and reach at the 2018 congress. Popular topics of discussion at all congresses were defined and counted. RESULTS: Twelve thousand five hundred and eight-six tweets were created with the official hashtag at the time of the four congresses. Activity increased over time except in the number of original tweets between the 2016 and 2018 congresses. Sixty-six percent of the tweets were directly related to congress content, and 23% were social in nature. At the 2018 congress, 16-34% of contributors were matched with a congress delegate. CONCLUSION: The tweets analysed were mainly informative. Twitter expanded the audience for material discussed at the Annual Scientific Congresses, and the amount of Twitter activity generally increased. It is in the interest of conference organizers to encourage and regulate Twitter use for maximum effectiveness because it is a powerful tool and use is likely to continue increasing in future.

Partnering With Mommy Bloggers to Disseminate Breast Cancer Risk Information: Social Media Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Women are concerned about reducing their breast cancer risk, particularly if they have daughters. Social media platforms, such as blogs written by mothers, are increasingly being recognized as a channel that women use to make personal and family health-related decisions. Government initiatives (eg, Interagency Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Coordinating Committee) and researchers have called for scientists and the community to partner and disseminate scientifically and community-informed environmental risk information. OBJECTIVE: We developed and evaluated a blog intervention to disseminate breast cancer and environmental risk information to mothers. We teamed with mommy bloggers to disseminate a message that we developed and tailored for mothers and daughters based on scientific evidence from the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program (BCERP). We posited that the intervention would influence women's exposure to, acceptance of, and beliefs about environmental risks while promoting their intention to adopt risk-reducing behaviors. METHODS: Using a quasi-experimental design, we recruited 75 mommy bloggers to disseminate the breast cancer risk message on their respective blogs and examined the impact of the intervention on (1) readers exposed to the intervention (n=445) and (2) readers not exposed to the intervention (comparison group; n=353). RESULTS: Following the intervention, blog reader scores indicating exposure to the breast cancer risk and prevention information were greater than scores of blog readers who were not exposed (or did not recall seeing the message; mean 3.92, SD 0.85 and mean 3.45, SD 0.92, respectively; P<.001). Readers who recalled the intervention messages also had higher breast cancer risk and prevention information satisfaction scores compared with readers who did not see (or recall) the messages (mean 3.97, SD 0.75 and mean 3.57, SD 0.94, respectively; P<.001). Blog readers who recalled seeing the intervention messages were significantly more likely to share the breast cancer risk and prevention information they read, with their daughters specifically, than readers who did not recall seeing them (χ21=8.1; P=.004). Those who recalled seeing the intervention messages reported significantly higher breast cancer risk and prevention information influence scores, indicative of behavioral intentions, than participants who did not recall seeing them (mean 11.22, SD 2.93 and mean 10.14, SD 3.24, respectively; P=.003). Most women ranked Facebook as their first choice for receiving breast cancer risk information. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated that blog readers who were exposed to (and specifically recalled) the BCERP-adapted intervention messages from mommy bloggers had higher breast cancer risk and prevention information exposure scores and higher breast cancer risk and prevention information satisfaction and influence scores than those who did not see (or recall) them. Mommy bloggers may be important opinion leaders for some women and key to enhancing the messaging, delivery, and impact of environmental breast cancer risk information on mothers.

Utilization and perception of live-blogging coverage of an international manual physical therapy conference.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the utilization and perception of live blogged sessions of a physical therapy (PT) conference. Methods: Sessions at an international PT conference were covered in real time using a live-blogging platform. Session coverage could be viewed remotely using computers and mobile devices. Viewers could interact with the content by clicking on links and using the comment feature. Sessions could also be replayed following their conclusion. An online survey of user perceptions was made available the week following the conference. Results: Twenty-four sessions were live blogged with an average session length of 67 min (range: 27-120). On average, live sessions received 27 views (range: 2-65), 18 clicks (range: 2-36), and 2 comments (range: 0-10). The average time spent viewing a live session was 28 min (32% of viewers <1 min; 68% >1 min). Following the conference, session replays totaled 7206 views and 2910 clicks. The average survey respondent (n = 17) watched five live sessions (range: 1-17) and found the updates easy to read (4.5 on a scale of 5.0). When asked if they learned something from the coverage, 94% of respondents said yes and 94% said they would view if available for an upcoming conference. Discussion: Live blogging extended the viewing audience and facilitated viewer engagement. Survey respondents found the coverage educational, of high quality, and would participate again in the future.