Knowledge of legal rights as a factor of refugee and asylum seekers' health status: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine health behaviours of refugees and asylum seekers, in relation to their knowledge of public benefits and legal rights. DESIGN: Qualitative study, utilising an open-ended, semi-structured interview guide to ensure information-rich data collection. Thematic content was analysed using qualitative research software. SETTING: Participants were drawn from the Weill Cornell Center for Human Rights (WCCHR) in New York City, a single-center, human rights clinic with a globally representative patient population. All interviews were conducted at the Weill Cornell Medicine Clinical and Translational Science Center, a multidisciplinary space within an urban academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-four refugees and asylum seekers currently living in the greater New York City area. Eligible participants were 18 years of age or older and had previously sought services from the WCCHR. The recruitment rate was 55%. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Themes and concepts in participants' health, knowledge, perceptions of and experiences with accessing healthcare and public benefits programmes. RESULTS: Twenty-four participants represented 18 countries of origin and 11 primary languages. Several impediments to accessing healthcare and public benefits were identified, including pragmatic barriers (such as prohibitive costs or lack of insurance), knowledge gaps and mistrust of healthcare systems. CONCLUSIONS: There is low health engagement by refugees and asylum seekers, as a result of multiple, complex factors impeding the ability of refugee and asylum seekers to access healthcare and other public benefits for which they are eligible-with resultant detrimental health effects. However, there is an opportunity to utilise novel approaches, such as digital technologies, to communicate relevant information regarding legal rights and public benefits to advance the health of vulnerable individuals such as refugees and asylum seekers.

Social media and close relationships: a puzzle of connection and disconnection.

Social media and well-being have been a subject of intense debate in research, policy, and the popular press. In this review, we discuss social media use and well-being in the context of close relationships, including romantic partners, friends, and family, by drawing on research that connects social media use to both relational connection and relational disconnection. In an effort to disentangle a puzzle of connection and disconnection, we argue for the duality of social media effects in close relationships in which behaviors that facilitate connection and disconnection are intertwined. We call for research to develop frameworks that focus on (1) the interplay of social media behaviors and (2) the relational processes that underlie the twists and turns of social media connection.

Use of a Mobile Peer Support App Among Young People With Nonsuicidal Self-injury: Small-scale Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a widespread behavior among adolescents and young adults. Although many individuals who self-injure do not seek treatment, there is evidence for web-based help-seeking through web-based communities and mobile peer support networks. However, few studies have rigorously tested the efficacy of such platforms on outcomes relevant for NSSI recovery. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this small-scale preregistered randomized controlled trial is to provide preliminary insight into the shorter- and longer-term efficacy of the use of a peer support app, TalkLife, in reducing NSSI frequency and urges and increasing readiness to change. In addition, we explore contact with informal support, interest in therapy, and attitudes toward professional help-seeking. METHODS: Individuals aged 16-25 years with current (within 3 months) and chronic (>6 episodes in the past year) NSSI history were eligible to participate in this study. After baseline assessments, the intervention group was instructed to use the app actively (eg, post or comment at least three times per week) and the control group received weekly psychoeducational materials through email, for 8 weeks. Follow-up was assessed at 1 month and 2 months. Linear mixed modeling was used to evaluate condition and time point effects for the primary outcomes of NSSI frequency and urges, readiness to change, contact with informal support, interest in therapy, and attitudes toward professional help-seeking. RESULTS: A total of 131 participants were included in the analysis. We evidenced a significant effect of condition on NSSI frequency such that the participants using the peer support app self-injured less over the course of the study (mean 1.30, SE 0.18) than those in the control condition (mean 1.62, SE 0.18; P=.02; η2=0.02). We also evidenced a significant condition effect of readiness to change such that the treatment participants reported greater confidence in their ability to change their NSSI behavior (mean 6.28, SE 0.41) than the control participants (mean 5.67, SE 0.41; P=.04; η2=0.02). No significant differences were observed for contact with informal support, interest in therapy, or attitudes toward professional help-seeking. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the peer support app was related to reduced NSSI frequency and greater confidence in one's ability to change NSSI behavior over the course of the study period, but no effects on NSSI urges, contact with informal support, interest in therapy, or attitudes toward professional help-seeking were observed. The findings provide preliminary support for considering the use of mobile peer support apps as a supplement to NSSI intervention and point to the need for larger-scale trials. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Open Science Foundation; https://osf.io/3uay9.

How Older Adults with Chronic Pain Manage Social Support Interactions with Mobile Media.

Mobile media offer new ways for older adults to access and interact with their social support networks. While mobile media usage has been increasing among older adults, less is known about why older adults with chronic pain prefer to select members of their existing social network for quality social support interactions, what types of communication mechanisms they engage in when utilizing mobile media, and how they use their mobile media to manage their interactions and relationships. The analysis of 25 semi-structured interviews with older adults with chronic pain reveals that a sense of camaraderie and shared meaning of pain experiences underlie their preferences for communicating with similar others about chronic pain. On the other hand, having to take on a role reversal of comforting and receiving unsolicited advice are the main reasons for avoiding social support interactions with dissimilar others. Additionally, older adults strategically utilize specific features of mobile media such as SMS text messaging for short forms of validation and encouragement, staccato social support, and management of interaction coordination or avoidance. This study demonstrates how mobile technology can be adopted and appropriated to meet social, emotional, and interpersonal needs of older adults' lives. It also provides important insights into communicative dynamics of pain-related social support interactions and communication channel selection of older adults. The way mobile media are used to leverage social interactions and support networks can contribute to self-management, health-promoting behavior, and overall quality of life for older adults with chronic pain.

Examining the Relationship Between the Use of a Mobile Peer-Support App and Self-Injury Outcomes: Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Many individuals who self-injure seek support and information through online communities and mobile peer-support apps. Although researchers have identified risks and benefits of participation, empirical work linking participation in these web-based spaces to self-injury behaviors and thoughts is limited. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the relationship between behavioral and linguistic traces on a mobile peer support app and self-injury outcomes. METHODS: Natural use data and web-based surveys (N=697) assessing self-injury outcomes were collected from 268 users (aged 13-38 years; median 19; 149/268, 55.6% female) of a mobile peer-support app for 4 months. Participants were identified as having posted self-injury content using an internal classifier. Natural log data was used to predict self-injury outcomes in a series of multilevel logistic and linear regressions. RESULTS: Greater engagement on a mobile peer-support app was associated with a decreased likelihood of self-injury thoughts (odds ratio [OR] 0.25, 95% CI 0.09-0.73) and fewer intentions to self-injure (b=-0.37, SE 0.09), whereas posting triggering content was associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in behaviors (OR 5.37, 95% CI 1.25-23.05) and having self-injury thoughts (OR 17.87, 95% CI 1.64-194.15). Moreover, viewing triggering content was related to both a greater ability to resist (b=1.39, SE 0.66) and a greater intention to self-injure (b=1.50, SE 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first study to connect naturally occurring log data to survey data assessing self-injury outcomes over time. This work provides empirical support for the relationship between participation in online forums and self-injury outcomes, and it articulates mechanisms contributing to this relationship.

Investigating Self-injury Support Solicitations and Responses on a Mobile Peer Support Application.

Online informal support networks may provide a critical source of support for young people who self-injure. While these platforms are often intended to mitigate digital harm, there is limited understanding of how individuals use peer support venues to seek self-injury related support and the specific contingencies of supportive exchanges. The present mixed-methods study was designed to explore the types of concerns members express on a mobile peer support application and the types of responses that they receive. Specifically, our aims were to (1) understand the prevalence of peer support types exchanged and (2) surface more nuanced themes within these categories of support. We also explore the relationship between support sought through posts and received through comments. Findings have important theoretical implications for understanding support seeking and provision through a mobile peer support app, which can help guide the design and optimization of peer-driven platforms for individuals who self-injure.

Towards an integration of individualistic, networked, and institutional approaches to online disclosure and privacy in a networked ecology.

In this paper, we review three different approaches to disclosure and privacy: a) an individualistic approach, which emphasizes an individual's control over information access and flow, b) a networked approach focused on information flow in horizontal relations between people, and c) an institutional approach concerned with public and societal privacy risks from platforms, providers, and governments. These approaches co-exist largely independently of each other in privacy and disclosure literature. However, with overlapping public and private spheres of communication where a presumption of individual agency over personal information is no longer tenable, we argue for the importance of bridging these perspectives towards a more multifaceted view on online disclosure and privacy in a networked ecology.

Psychological Distress and Emotional Expression on Facebook.

Social network sites (SNS) are a novel social environment for college students with psychological distress to connect with their peers, but the nature and effects of these interactions are not well understood. This study reports findings from a Facebook study among 238 college students reporting nonspecific psychological distress using the K-6 scale. Behavioral data included Facebook status updates containing affect words written by participants within the past 60 days and the number of responses (comments and likes) each update received. The updates were also coded for depression symptoms. Self-report data included participants' self-presentational concerns, the affective valence of each post, effects of responses on mood, and satisfaction with the responses to and outcome of each status update. Higher psychological distress was associated with displaying depression language on Facebook, with higher self-presentational concerns, and with less satisfaction with audiences' responses and less overall satisfaction with the outcome of the interaction. These results offer a unique glimpse into the social world of college students with psychological distress through their everyday use of Facebook, and how the interplay of this novel environment and students' mental health impacts their social behaviors and interaction meaning-making on Facebook.

Managing Stigma: Disclosure-Response Communication Patterns in Pro-Anorexic Websites.

Pro-anorexic websites are a popular online venue for individuals with anorexia, but recent research suggests that they play a role of "online negative enabling support groups" because they can undermine recovery and encourage negative behaviors by validating pro-anorexic views. By analyzing 22,811 messages from 5,590 conversations from the Pro-Ana Nation online discussion board forum, this study examines communicative mechanisms of online negative enabling support through language analysis of disclosure-response sequences, changes in the language of the initial discloser within an interaction exchange, and the role of responses in eliciting those changes. The findings show that initiating disclosures containing stigma-related emotion words, anorexia-specific content, and sociorelational content are typically met with negatively valenced responses from other members of the pro-anorexic community. Moreover, although the act of revealing stigmatized information has some cathartic effects, disclosers use more, not fewer, stigma-related emotion words when they receive negatively valenced responses. These results provide insight into communicative dynamics and effects of online negative enabling support through validation of the pro-anorexic identity and the dangerous cycle of stigma escalation in disclosure-response exchanges on pro-anorexic online communities.

Automatic Archiving versus Default Deletion: What Snapchat Tells Us About Ephemerality in Design.

Unlike most social media, where automatic archiving of data is the default, Snapchat defaults to ephemerality: deleting content shortly after it is viewed by a receiver. Interviews with 25 Snapchat users show that ephemerality plays a key role in shaping their practices. Along with friend-adding features that facilitate a network of mostly close relations, default deletion affords everyday, mundane talk and reduces self-consciousness while encouraging playful interaction. Further, although receivers can save content through screenshots, senders are notified; this selective saving with notification supports complex information norms that preserve the feel of ephemeral communication while supporting the capture of meaningful content. This dance of giving and taking, sharing and showing, and agency for both senders and receivers provides the basis for a rich design space of mechanisms, levels, and domains for ephemerality.

Age Differences in Online Social Networking: Extending Socioemotional Selectivity Theory to Social Network Sites.

This article extends socioemotional selectivity theory to online social networking by examining age differences in the size and composition of Facebook networks across a wide age range of Facebook users (18 to 93 years old) in a nationally representative sample. Findings suggest increasing selectivity of Facebook social partners with age. Compared to younger adults, friend networks of older adults are smaller but contain a greater proportion of individuals who are considered to be actual friends. Moreover, a higher proportion of actual to total Facebook friends is associated with lower levels of social isolation and loneliness across the life span.