O presente estudo tem por finalidade apreender a construção dos sentidos que são produzidos e negociados no processo de um grupo de apoio a familiares de pessoas diagnosticadas com Anorexia Nervosa e Bulimia Nervosa atendidos em contexto ambulatorial. Mais especificamente, objetiva delinear os sentidos construídos pelos familiares sobre a sua participação no grupo. Acreditamos que o grupo de apoio oferece um contexto fecundo para investigar (e desconstruir) a maneira como as idéias e os valores são constituídos pela tradição da comunidade discursiva e que adquirem uma aparência de ?realidade? para as pessoas que pertencem àquela comunidade. Espera-se que, além de permitir a sistematização de conhecimento na área, os dados oriundos do presente estudo possam trazer benefícios para os usuários desse e de outros serviços com características semelhantes. Nosso objeto de estudo, o grupo de apoio psicológico aos familiares, da maneira como se configura hoje tem cerca de cinco anos de funcionamento. Desde o início é um grupo de ?portas abertas?, isto é, aberto aos parentes e acompanhantes dos pacientes atendidos. Não tem número definido de vagas e todos os familiares dos pacientes atualmente atendidos estão convidados a participar dos encontros. A freqüência é semanal, com uma hora de duração. Foram audio-gravadas e transcritas 10 sessões consecutivas do grupo, no qual 37 familiares estiveram presentes. Após a leitura exaustiva das sessões foram realçadas as falas dos participantes relacionadas à temática da participação grupal. Percebendo-se a pregnância dessa temática e a riqueza na presença de múltiplos sentidos para a participação grupal nas 3 primeiras sessões consecutivas gravadas, optou-se pelo seu recorte para a análise, sendo que a primeira sessão foi analisada em toda sua extensão e as outras 2 sessões foram recortadas em seus trechos mais significativos. A análise dessas sessões foi empreendida dentro do referencial téorico do construcionismo social e utilizando-se do recurso metodológico de delimitações temático-seqüenciais. Os diferentes momentos da sessão delimitados tematicamente foram: os diferentes sentidos para o estar no grupo; a construção da diferença no grupo; o reconhecimento das semelhanças e desigualdades entre os participantes; a construção dos diferentes lugares no grupo; a compreensão dos sentidos para o espaço grupal; a construção da possibilidade de continuarem juntos; as indicações para a participação grupal e a possibilidade de um novo sentido para a diferença. Ao negociarem esses sentidos, os participantes constroem a si-mesmos, a doença e o grupo. Os julgamentos construídos no grupo podem ser tomados como verdades, cristalizando determinadas maneiras descrições e valores, que podem promover movimentos de segregação e afastamento no grupo. Todavia, esses sentidos podem ser revisitados e reconfigurados, em uma constante teia que enlaça novos significados a cada nova interação (CAPES). / The aim of this study is the comprehension of the meanings produced and negotiated in the process of a familiar support group of people that has been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa taken care in an ambulatory context. More specifically, this study aims to delineate the meanings that these familiars give about their participation at the group. We believe that the support group offers a valorous context for the investigation (deconstruction) of the ways that the discursive traditional communities construct its ideas and values and how those ideas gain the status of reality for the people in those communities. We hope that the results of this study can help the users of this and others services with similar characteristics. Our study object, the familiar support group, in its actual configuration, has five years of functioning. Since its beginning the group is open to the familiars and companions of the people taken care of at the service. It does not have a definitive number of participants that can be in, and all the families are invited to participate. We taped and transcript 10 sessions of this group. 37 participants were present in those sessions. After the exhaustive reading of this material, we enlighten the participant\'s sayings that were referred to the familiar participation. Once we realized the presence of this thematic in the first tree sessions, those were chosen to constitute the corpus of our analysis. The analysis was based in the social constructionist perspective and in the use of the methodological and theoretical recourse of analysis called sequential and thematic delimitations. The different moments of these session delimited by these themes were: the different meanings for the group participation; the construction of the difference in the group; the recognition of the similarities and differences between the participants; the different places taken in the group; the comprehension for the different group\'s meanings; the construction of the possibilities for being together; the indications for the group\'s participation; and the possibilities for the appearance of a new meaning for the difference. When negotiating these meanings, the participants construct themselves, the disease and the group. The judges that emerge at the group can be taken as true, being crystallized and promoting segregation movements in the group. However, these meanings can be revisited and be reconfigured in a constant art of enlacing new meanings as new relation and interaction begins (CAPES).

O trabalho tem como proposta entrar em contato com o câncer infantil e suas conseqüências do ponto de vista da própria criança com câncer, investigando o que significa para ela estar doente e buscando conhecer o sentido de sua vivência neste momento particular de sua vida. O trabalho fundamenta-se no método de pesquisa qualitativa de inspiração fenomenológica em Psicologia. Partindo de uma questão orientadora - Como é para a criança com câncer conviver com sua doença e seu tratamento? - a fonte de investigação utilizada foram as vivências de crianças com câncer no grupo de apoio psicológico, atividade que faz parte da rotina do Serviço de Psicologia do GACC-Grupo de Apoio à Criança com Câncer. O grupo reuniu-se semanalmente durante 01 hora, em local e horário fixos, no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto-USP. Foram utilizados materiais gráfico e lúdicos. As crianças participantes, em média 05 em cada sessão, tinham diferentes diagnósticos de câncer e encontravam-se em diferentes fases de seus tratamentos. Suas idades variaram de 03 a 16 anos. A construção dos resultados compreendeu duas etapas. Na primeira etapa, foram analisadas 30 sessões do grupo de apoio psicológico realizadas no período de abril a dezembro de 1999. Nesta etapa, o objetivo do grupo era propiciar e facilitar a livre expressão de preocupações, dúvidas e sentimentos das crianças participantes, além de proporcionar um momento no qual pudessem compartilhar suas experiências. Desta primeira etapa emergiram três dimensões de análise: os temas das sessões, o próprio grupo enquanto intervenção psicoterapêutica e a gestação da idéia de elaborar o livro das crianças. Na segunda etapa, foram analisadas 15 sessões do grupo de apoio psicológico, realizadas no período de janeiro a junho de 2000. Nesta etapa, o objetivo do grupo era a criação do livro das criança, material informativo sobre o câncer infantil elaborado coletivamente. Desta segunda etapa emergiram os temas das sessões, organizados posteriormente sob a forma do livro das crianças. Após estas duas etapas de análise, foi realizada uma síntese compreensiva da construção dos resultados sob a luz da Psicologia Fenomenológica. Nas considerações finais, foram discutidos os desdobramentos práticos dos aspectos estudados, assim como o papel da Psicologia nestes contextos assistenciais. (FAPESP) / This paper proposes to come into contact with childhood cancer and its consequences from the cancer-stricken child’s own viewpoint, and investigate what it means for the child to be ill, seeking to find out the meaning of its experience at this particular juncture of its life. This paper is based on the qualitative research method of phenomenological inspiration in Psychology. With a leading question as the starting point – What is it like for a child who has cancer to live with this illness and its treatment? – the source used for investigation were the experiences of children suffering from cancer in a psychological support group, a routine activity that is a part of the Psychology Service of the GACC – Support Group for Children with Cancer. This group met weekly for one hour, at a fixed time and place, at the Children’s Hospital of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (USP). Graphic and playtime materials were used. The participating children, five per session on the average, had different cancer diagnoses, and were at different stages of their treatment. Their ages ranged from 3 to16 years. Construction of results comprised two stages. In the first stage, 30 psychological support group sessions held during the period from April through December 1999 were analyzed. In this stage, the group’s objective was fostering and facilitating the free expression of concerns, doubts and feelings by the participating children, in addition to providing a time for them to share their experiences. In the second stage, 15 psychological support group sessions held during the period from January to June 2000 were analyzed. In this stage, the group’s objective was creating the Children’s Book – collectively prepared informative material on childhood cancer. Subsequently, a synthesis comprising both stages of such construction of results was carried out under the light of Phenomenological Psychology. Practical developments of the aspects studied, as well as the role of Psychology in such care contexts, were discussed in closing remarks.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-21T14:42:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Aparecida Garcia dos Santos.pdf: 2778641 bytes, checksum: 3f546ca886d40061c014cd904b8a5766 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-21 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Leprosy is a sickness that has been around for thousands of years, and since the biblical times has always been a focus of various discussions. For a long time, a person infected with leprosy was isolated from society, excluded, as well as called leper, unclean, dirty, and a sinner. In this sense, Leprosy became a sickness marked with stigma and discrimination, and those inflicted suffered from such. The objective study is to comprehend the structure of the Support Group of Patients with Leprosy (GAPHAN) while group action gives support to the public politics of health for lepers in the process of being attended. Developed in the City of Ponta Grossa – PR, in the Specialized Assistance Service (SAE), with professionals and participants of GAPHAN. This research is a descriptive and explorative work. Quality study was utilized, accomplished through semi-structured interviews with oral testimonies and non-participant observation, together with the participants of the research. The research was founded in bibliographical and documental study. The results of this research give evidence that the action of the support group strengthen the attendance and treatment of those with leprosy, in the city of study. This study made possible the understanding of the universe of meanings understood by the word leper, and gave evidence of the stigma, as explained by Goffman. The activities and happenings of GAPHAN aid in the attendance and precocious detection of leprous cases of relatives. Group co-living aids in the elevation of self-confidence, cognitive development, self-care and contributes to the reintegration of lepers into society, giving support to the public politics of health for lepers. In this sense, the group becomes a support for the control program and elimination of leprosy in the city of Ponta Grossa – PR. / A hanseníase é uma doença milenar, que desde os tempos bíblicos vem sendo foco de várias discussões. Por muito tempo, a pessoa doente era isolada da sociedade, excluída, bem como, nomeadas de termos como: leproso, imundo, sujo, pecador. Nesse sentido, a hanseníase tornou-se uma doença marcada por estigma e discriminação, os quais são vivenciados por aqueles que por ela são alcançados. A pesquisa objetiva compreender a estrutura do Grupo de Apoio a Pacientes com Hanseníase (GAPHAN) enquanto ação de grupo para dar suporte às políticas públicas de saúde voltadas aos hansenianos no processo de atendimento.Desenvolvida no Município de Ponta Grossa – PR, no Serviço de Assistência Especializada (SAE), com profissionais e participantes do GAPHAN. Trata-se de pesquisa descritiva e exploratória. Utilizou-se a pesquisa qualitativa, realizada por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas, com depoimentos orais e observação não participante, junto aos participantes da pesquisa. Fundamentou-se em pesquisa bibliográfica e documental. Os resultados evidenciam que o grupo de apoio enquanto ação no SAE fortalece o atendimento e tratamento voltado à hanseníase,no Município de estudo. Esse estudo possibilitou compreender o universo de significados dos cometidos pela hanseníase, o qual ficou evidenciado o estigma, que é explicado por Goffman. As atividades e encontros ocorridos no GAPHAN auxiliam no atendimento e na detecção precoce dos casos de hanseníase dos familiares. A convivência grupal auxilia na elevação da autoestima, no desenvolvimento cognitivo, no autocuidado e contribui para a reintegração do hanseniano a sociedade, e dá suporte à política pública de saúde voltada à hanseníase. Nesse sentido, o grupo torna-se um apoio para o programa de controle e eliminação da hanseníase no município de Ponta Grossa – PR.

O trabalho tem como proposta entrar em contato com o câncer infantil e suas conseqüências do ponto de vista da própria criança com câncer, investigando o que significa para ela estar doente e buscando conhecer o sentido de sua vivência neste momento particular de sua vida. O trabalho fundamenta-se no método de pesquisa qualitativa de inspiração fenomenológica em Psicologia. Partindo de uma questão orientadora - Como é para a criança com câncer conviver com sua doença e seu tratamento? - a fonte de investigação utilizada foram as vivências de crianças com câncer no grupo de apoio psicológico, atividade que faz parte da rotina do Serviço de Psicologia do GACC-Grupo de Apoio à Criança com Câncer. O grupo reuniu-se semanalmente durante 01 hora, em local e horário fixos, no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto-USP. Foram utilizados materiais gráfico e lúdicos. As crianças participantes, em média 05 em cada sessão, tinham diferentes diagnósticos de câncer e encontravam-se em diferentes fases de seus tratamentos. Suas idades variaram de 03 a 16 anos. A construção dos resultados compreendeu duas etapas. Na primeira etapa, foram analisadas 30 sessões do grupo de apoio psicológico realizadas no período de abril a dezembro de 1999. Nesta etapa, o objetivo do grupo era propiciar e facilitar a livre expressão de preocupações, dúvidas e sentimentos das crianças participantes, além de proporcionar um momento no qual pudessem compartilhar suas experiências. Desta primeira etapa emergiram três dimensões de análise: os temas das sessões, o próprio grupo enquanto intervenção psicoterapêutica e a gestação da idéia de elaborar o livro das crianças. Na segunda etapa, foram analisadas 15 sessões do grupo de apoio psicológico, realizadas no período de janeiro a junho de 2000. Nesta etapa, o objetivo do grupo era a criação do livro das criança, material informativo sobre o câncer infantil elaborado coletivamente. Desta segunda etapa emergiram os temas das sessões, organizados posteriormente sob a forma do livro das crianças. Após estas duas etapas de análise, foi realizada uma síntese compreensiva da construção dos resultados sob a luz da Psicologia Fenomenológica. Nas considerações finais, foram discutidos os desdobramentos práticos dos aspectos estudados, assim como o papel da Psicologia nestes contextos assistenciais. (FAPESP) / This paper proposes to come into contact with childhood cancer and its consequences from the cancer-stricken child’s own viewpoint, and investigate what it means for the child to be ill, seeking to find out the meaning of its experience at this particular juncture of its life. This paper is based on the qualitative research method of phenomenological inspiration in Psychology. With a leading question as the starting point – What is it like for a child who has cancer to live with this illness and its treatment? – the source used for investigation were the experiences of children suffering from cancer in a psychological support group, a routine activity that is a part of the Psychology Service of the GACC – Support Group for Children with Cancer. This group met weekly for one hour, at a fixed time and place, at the Children’s Hospital of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (USP). Graphic and playtime materials were used. The participating children, five per session on the average, had different cancer diagnoses, and were at different stages of their treatment. Their ages ranged from 3 to16 years. Construction of results comprised two stages. In the first stage, 30 psychological support group sessions held during the period from April through December 1999 were analyzed. In this stage, the group’s objective was fostering and facilitating the free expression of concerns, doubts and feelings by the participating children, in addition to providing a time for them to share their experiences. In the second stage, 15 psychological support group sessions held during the period from January to June 2000 were analyzed. In this stage, the group’s objective was creating the Children’s Book – collectively prepared informative material on childhood cancer. Subsequently, a synthesis comprising both stages of such construction of results was carried out under the light of Phenomenological Psychology. Practical developments of the aspects studied, as well as the role of Psychology in such care contexts, were discussed in closing remarks.

Trata-se de uma pesquisa de natureza qualitativa, do tipo descritivo exploratório, que teve como proposta descrever o processo de implantação e implementação de um grupo de pacientes portadores de estomas intestinais definitivos e identificar a percepção desses quanto à sexualidade como uma dimensão importante de suas vidas. Para a coleta de dados, foram utilizadas as falas dos sujeitos participantes do grupo durante os encontros realizados, transcritas na íntegra pela pesquisadora. As falas, posteriormente foram analisadas segundo a análise de prosa de André (1983). Foram realizados 14 encontros com 3 horas de duração cada, participaram do grupo 19 portadores de estomas definitivos de São José do Rio Preto e região, uma coordenadora (pesquisadora), um coloproctologista, uma psicóloga e uma observadora não-participante. Toda dinâmica do grupo obedeceu a uma programação feita previamente pela pesquisadora. Os dados obtidos permitiram concluir que essa atividade grupal proporcionou aos portadores um espaço no qual puderam trocar experiências, adquirir conhecimentos, criar vínculos, encontrar cumplicidade, companheirismo e aceitar a sua condição, pois ouviram as vivências dos outros e não se sentiram únicos a terem problemas, facilitando o sentimento de universalidade. Quanto à percepção da sexualidade como uma dimensão importante em suas vidas identificou-se ser esse um tema pouco abordado pelos profissionais de saúde e necessário para o reajustamento sexual satisfatório. Evidenciou-se que a saúde sexual não foi inibida pela doença, pois quanto mais orientados adequadamente, e mais estimulados para a prática sexual, mais satisfeitos e interessados se mostraram para buscar caminhos, superando obstáculos como: a recusa do parceiro, disfunção erétil, alteração imagem e o próprio estoma. Alguns caminhos apontados para atingir a satisfação sexual foram a troca de parceiro, busca de profissionais especializados, criatividade no ato sexual e alguns cuidados com o dispositivo. Nesse espaço evidenciou-se que a prática sexual seja ela qual for, é importante e necessária para a vida de cada um. A experiência de vida de cada integrante permitiu o desenvolvimento da autonomia sexual e fez com que os portadores reconhecessem a necessidade de mantê-la ou buscar auxílio, para o alcance do prazer, satisfação e retorno à vida. / This is a descriptive exploratory qualitative research, with the goal to describe the creation and implementation process of a group of patients with definitive intestinal stomas and to identify their perceptions with respect to sexuality as an important dimension of their lives. In order to collect data, the author used the speech of the subjects who participated in the group during their meetings that were transcribed by the researcher. Their speeches were analyzed according to André’s prose analysis. The group met 14 times, with meetings of about 3 hours each. 19 patients from the city of São José do Rio Preto and region with definitive stomas participated in the meetings with the researcher, one physician, one psychologist and one non-participant observer. The dynamics of the group followed the researcher’s program. Data showed that this activity gave to patients a space to exchange experiences, to learn and create links, to find complicity and colleagues as well as to accept their condition as they listen the others experiences and feel that they are not the only ones who have problems, facilitating the feeling of “universality". With respect to their sexuality perception as an important dimension of their lives, author identified that this theme was not often mentioned by the health professionals and that this is necessary to a satisfactory sexual readjustment.. The author found out that when sexual health was not inhibited by the disease, they were adequately oriented and stimulated to sexual practice and were satisfied and interested to find ways and overcome some problems such as: the partner refusal, erectile dysfunction, image alteration and the stoma. Some ways used to have sexual satisfaction were to change partners, to search for the care of specialized professionals, creativity during sexual intercourse and to pay attention to the device. In this space, the author found that the sexual practice is important and necessary to their lives. The life experience of each one of the members enabled the development of sexual autonomy and the need to maintain it or to search for health in order to have pleasure, satisfaction and to feel alive.

Children with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) face medical, psychosocial, and cognitive challenges, which may impede their social and academic functioning. These complications can be lessened through the implementation of comprehensive interventions. This study reviews one comprehensive intervention, a support group, for children with SCD and their families, and reviews the challenges faced by the children and family who participate in the support group as well as those who do not participate. The study has a mixed-method design because the families participated in focus groups, and they completed quantitative instruments, including a knowledge survey, a behavior rating scale, and an instrument to measure the degree that SCD affects one's life. Most children rated SCD as affecting their life a little bit and were knowledgeable in SCD. The children who did not participate in the support group reported less symptoms and a smaller impact on their lives than those who did participate. The results from the behavior rating scale did not reveal any significant behavior problems in these children; however, those who did not participate in the support group had higher ratings than those who did. These results imply that individuals with SCD who are less impacted by the disease may be less likely to attend a support group than those who are more impacted. Additionally, a theme analysis from the focus groups revealed key themes, such as keeping SCD a secret, getting made fun of, missing school, missing PE class, hospital visits, and experiences with pain crises. The findings from this study indicate that SCD does impact the life of children with the disease; however, the impact may be unknown to others and may differ among individuals. The results also imply that school personnel and other students in schools must be accurately informed about the manifestations of SCD to best promote healthy physical and psychosocial development in children with SCD. Finally, support groups can help to reduce symptoms and complications related to the disease.

Previous research on self-change in support groups has focused on the ways individuals accomplish self-change in the "local cultures" of the support group settings. This ethnographic study of the 12-step self-help group Debtors Anonymous (DA) departs from that tradition by focusing on the ways that DA members achieve self-change by employing "recovery" strategies learned from the group in their everyday lives. DA members enter the group during financial crises, and often believe they cannot manage their own personal finances. By learning techniques of financial management taught by the group, DA members gradually gain "sobriety" and financial management skills. This analysis highlights the important role played by various technologies of self-construction in DA members' recovery efforts. Drawing on narrative and governmentality theories, this analysis shows how DA members accomplish self-change by learning to become self-monitoring and self-restrained financial managers and consumers.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur en gruppverksamhet vars mål är att ge psykosocialt stöd och fysisk aktivitet till män diagnostiserade med prostatacancer bör utformas och presenteras för att tilltala målgruppen. Metod: Studien hade en kvalitativ, deskriptiv ansats och baserades på fem individuella intervjuer och en fokusgruppsintervju . Samtliga intervjuer var semistrukturerade och spelades in. Huvudresultat: Innehållsanalyser av intervjuerna resulterade i följande tre kategorier; ”Presentation av gruppverksamhet”, ”Attityder” och ”Innehåll i gruppverksamhet”. Varje kategori hade även ett antal subkategorier. Tillsammans åskådliggjorde kategorierna vad män med prostatacancer ansåg att en rehabiliteringsgrupp som Rehabilitering med samtal och yoga [RSYG] ska innehålla samt hur den kan presenteras. Det mest överraskande resultatet var att av de män som tidigare inte deltagit i RSYG så var det flera som var intresserade av att delta och angav tidsbrist som främsta orsak till att de uteblivit. Slutsats: För att män skall delta i RSYG krävs inte enbart ett väl utformat flygblad eller en god synlighet, inte heller räcker det med att vårdpersonal säger åt männen att gå till RSYG, utan innehållet i Rehabilitering med samtal och yoga bör även individanpassas då alla män inte lider av samma symptom då de har och behandlas för prostatacancer. Anhöriga bör även involveras då de också påverkas av männens sjukdom och en blandning av alla dessa strategier bör därför prövas och utvärderas. / Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate how a support group, offering psychosocial support and physical activity to men diagnosed with prostate cancer, should be presented and what it should comprise of. Method: A qualitative descriptive approach was used. Five individual interviews and one focus group interview were conducted. All interviews were semi-structured and recorded. Main results: The content analysis of the interviews resulted in the following three categories; “Presentation of the support group”, “Attitudes” and “Content of the support group”. Each category had a number of subcategories assigned to them. Together, the categories described the views of men, diagnosed with prostate cancer, regarding the presentation and the content of Rehabilitation with conversation and yoga [RSYG]. The most surprising result was that several men, who had not participated in RSYG, expressed an interest in participating. Their main reason to not having participated was lack of time. Conclusion: In pursuit of more participants for RSYG, the persons in charge must not only design an appealing flyer or become more visible to the men. Nor is it enough that other health professionals, such as doctors and nurses, order the men to attend. The content of the support group must become more adaptable to the individual needs of the men since every man suffers different symptoms from prostate cancer. The spouses of the men should be included in the support group since they too get affected by the cancer. A mix of the strategies mentioned above should be tried and evaluated.

Online support groups have shown a strong potential to foster resourceful environments for people living with depression without restrictions of time, space, and stigma. Research has found that users of those groups exchange various types of support. However, due to the scarcity of research, many other aspects of depression online support groups remain inconclusive. In particular, how the support exchange contributes to the everyday lives of users living with depression remains unclear. To contribute to filing some of the knowledge gaps, the present study explored what kinds of support were requested and provided in a depression online support group. By doing so, this study aimed to examine the roles of the depression online support group in the management of depression. Mixed methods were employed with a concurrent triangulation strategy. A sample of 980 posts were selected systematically from the support group. Demographic and clinical information of the users who made those posts were recorded. Quantitative and qualitative content analyses were conducted to examine the types of support being exchanged through those posts. Inter-coder reliability was calculated to ensure the consistency of the coding process. The results indicate that users sought informational support, various types of emotional support and coaching support, and social companionship. Users not only sought listening ears, but also practical advice to cope with the situations they were going through. The group appeared to serve its users as a place to meet others with similar experience; to manage loneliness; to discuss what they could not discuss elsewhere; to "just vent"; to gain advice from multiple perspectives on an issue that had been magnifying the impact of depression; to share the experience with formal care provision systems; to express immediate support needs; to share useful discoveries, accomplishments, and creative ways to manage depression; and to experience the value of helping others. This study supports the idea that depression online support groups have the strong potential to contribute to the everyday lives of people living with depression in a way that is not available elsewhere and in a way that complement to the overall framework of existing care provision systems.

Online support groups have shown a strong potential to foster resourceful environments for people living with depression without restrictions of time, space, and stigma. Research has found that users of those groups exchange various types of support. However, due to the scarcity of research, many other aspects of depression online support groups remain inconclusive. In particular, how the support exchange contributes to the everyday lives of users living with depression remains unclear. To contribute to filing some of the knowledge gaps, the present study explored what kinds of support were requested and provided in a depression online support group. By doing so, this study aimed to examine the roles of the depression online support group in the management of depression. Mixed methods were employed with a concurrent triangulation strategy. A sample of 980 posts were selected systematically from the support group. Demographic and clinical information of the users who made those posts were recorded. Quantitative and qualitative content analyses were conducted to examine the types of support being exchanged through those posts. Inter-coder reliability was calculated to ensure the consistency of the coding process. The results indicate that users sought informational support, various types of emotional support and coaching support, and social companionship. Users not only sought listening ears, but also practical advice to cope with the situations they were going through. The group appeared to serve its users as a place to meet others with similar experience; to manage loneliness; to discuss what they could not discuss elsewhere; to "just vent"; to gain advice from multiple perspectives on an issue that had been magnifying the impact of depression; to share the experience with formal care provision systems; to express immediate support needs; to share useful discoveries, accomplishments, and creative ways to manage depression; and to experience the value of helping others. This study supports the idea that depression online support groups have the strong potential to contribute to the everyday lives of people living with depression in a way that is not available elsewhere and in a way that complement to the overall framework of existing care provision systems.