Coping with infertility online: An examination of self-help mechanisms in an online infertility support group

ObjectiveTo examine communication within an online infertility support group.MethodsA content analysis of 3500 messages posted to infertility bulletin boards.ResultsThe most frequently used self-help mechanisms were support or empathy (45.5%) and sharing personal experiences (45.4%), followed by the provision of information and advice (15.9%), gratitude (12.5%), friendship (9.9%), chit-chat (9.4%), requests for information or advice (6.8%) and universality (4.8%), with negative statements (0.3%) and creative expressions (0.2%) being the least frequent categories.ConclusionThese findings suggest that online support groups can provide a viable alternative source of support for couples dealing with infertility.Practice implicationsHealth care professionals interested in developing online support interventions should look to tailor support resources to the specific needs of patients at different stages of the infertility journey.