Social media: supportive tools for mental health recovery? |
 |
 |
 |
| Wednesday, 20 July 2011 |
In the next article of her series, mental health communicator Heidi Tweedie looks at whether social media can help or hinder those on their journeys of recovery. She talks to active bloggers and Tweeters, and examines a recent MHF survey on the issue. Blamed for distancing us from our local communities and yet heralded as the key to truly accessible communications, the internet has a mixed reputation in regards to supporting mental health and recovery. However, with the rapid evolution of social media increasing to include services like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, forums and - more recently - mobile applications, more individuals are using these tools to support their mental health recovery. Is it time to embrace this new technology as an accessible, supportive and safe recovery tool?“Aside from my team of health professionals, I can honestly say that Twitter has been the most important thing in my recovery so far,” Zoe Smith, a keen blogger and Tweeter explains. “It’s named on my safety plan as ‘someone I can contact in a crisis’ and I know I can.” Zoe’s Twitter followers came to her aid recently when she was unwell and decided to visit Paris last minute and alone. “In truth I was never alone. I had every single one of my followers in my pocket. During my trip to Paris I had company round the clock, travel advice, mental health advice, care, people to listen and much more compassion than I ever thought I was worth.”  Jean Johnston, a campaigner for quality psychiatric care, has a more cautious view. Her experience helping to monitor mental health support on social networking websites over the last two years has flagged up many concerns. “Obviously interaction with other people can and does help with coping as well as removing isolation, but psychiatrists have already reported social internet activity is addictive…and a lot of the interaction is with people you really 'don't know'.”These concerns are partly echoed in the results of a recent Mental Health Foundation survey looking at internet use by people with mental health problems. The majority of respondents felt it was possible to make genuine friendships online, but only a quarter said they trust the people they meet there. However, 63% said the internet has been a positive influence on their mental health and around two thirds felt it easier to find supportive people online who had a similar experience to their own. “The idea that I will have a better relationship face-to-face with a neighbour than over the net is old-fashioned,” Keir Hardie, blogger and Tweeter, responds. “I have much more social contact than I would in the offline world and more choice. It definitely helps my recovery.” Social interaction is one recovery element that social media can support but it is far from the only benefit. “Blogging has been great for me. Getting it all down has allowed me to order my thoughts and improve my concentration,” shares blogger Steff, who found that her blog also helped to challenge stigma. “My mum did not understand my illness but once she was able to read my blog it helped her to make sense of it.” Steff's story, which she recently shared with SRN, can be found in the story sharing section of our website.  Unfortunately there are negatives such as cyber-bullying, identity theft and privacy issues that all internet users have to contend with. Over-sharing information can be an issue and Steff is rightly cautious: “I just use my first name as I have heard of other bloggers having to remove their blogs due to it affecting their chances of future employment.” Selecting the right platform is equally important. “Anonymity is available online but at differing degrees; you need to choose the right medium for your needs,” Keir explains. “For example LiveJournal is a more private way to blog as you can share with just a selection of contacts.”Linked with the issue of anonymity is the emotive topic of vulnerability. Generally society is wise to the fact that young people need to be educated in the possible pitfalls of online sharing, but there is little guidance for those who experience times of vulnerability as an adult. “Guidance on how to use social media when in a vulnerable place would be helpful for a lot of people,” agrees Keir.  Thankfully some mental health organisations are taking a proactive approach. Action on Depression (previously Depression Alliance Scotland) has actively embraced the internet by creating a web specific role to coordinate their two websites as well as arrange online chat sessions and support their online tool Living Life To The Full. “There are so many opportunities that social media gives our organisation and for people with depression it’s a great option if they are feeling isolated,” explains Trish Crawford, AOD Online Services Officer. “It allows us to reach and support more people all over Scotland and is cost effective too; Facebook and Twitter are free so it’s just our time that we have to budget for.”Samaritans is another organisation that is both seizing the opportunities of social media and hoping to reduce its risks. Working in collaboration with Facebook they have launched a new service offering help to UK members concerned over a friend’s posts or updates. Having received over 250 referrals already it’s clear this service is much needed. These innovative services provide an accessible resource round the clock, but they don’t replace face-to-face support. “People do have to take responsibility for themselves. It’s important to have a balance of on- and off-line support,” Trish warns. “It’s important you don’t make your online world your whole life; which can be easy to do if you’re feeling unwell.” Equally, by considering on- and off-line worlds as separate, professionals and organisations who offer face-to-face support may be missing an opportunity. “There is a lot of misinformation out there and a lot of people who would gladly join you in self-destruction; that is why it’s so important for professionals to be aware of what clients are doing online,” Zoe explains. “At various points my entire team have read my blog! I find this helpful and not intrusive; sometimes meeting with a new professional who has read my blog can cut out hours of painful "uhming and ahing" from me. Individuals can engage more effectively with social media with some informed guidance and for some, mental health professionals can be that source.” With the internet and social media becoming a key component of many aspects of our lives, mental health organisations, professionals and individuals need to find ways to embrace technology safely and positively; and for some, social media will have a pivotal role in supporting their recovery journey. Useful links: Look OK... Feel Crap? Living Life to the Full What do you think about social media? Does it help or hinder recovery? Send us your comments using the form below. Comments (6)
...
written by Pru, July 20, 2011
Social Media has helped me enormously in my networking that I do, my recovery journey - allowing me to chat online and then perhaps get to meet face to face, like minded people - particularly those with Bipolar I which is my diagnosis - and as I am both a service user and a carer it gets me to link with all sorts of organisations / people across the globe.
...
written by Catherine, July 20, 2011
Cont...
Social Media has for me now created a platform with which to share a lot more, achieve a lot more and do a lot more. It's not the internet/www that causes problems, it's the people that use it that do. Like a car, you are in control of an 'inanimate' object, what makes it 'animate' is us! And that's where we need to learn how to use it sensibly and to our advantage. I can never get enough of what I learn, read and enjoy on the internet/social media and I'd hate that to destroyed. We need to educate and highlight those involved in mental health the positives and how if used well can be an amazing tool for recovery and wellbeing. http://www.mentalhealthintheuk.co.uk
...
written by Catherine, July 20, 2011
The term 'social media' wasn't even around when I decided to set up my site in 1998 because everything I was involved in before then was American based. It was and still is the most pivotal moment in my journey of recovery and one that I am immensely proud of. Back then we talked about forums/message boards, chat room, newsgroups and IRC. I used many forums etc. before I set up my site for my own support and found a whole new world out there and I am still in touch with two very fond friends in Canada and Australia after 15 years who I've never met. It was all very new and exciting, but that's also where we started to learn about online behaviour and the terms "flaming", "trolls" and "baiter" were used extensively. I learnt a lot from those early days and I wouldn't be where I am now had I not gone through all that.
Cont.........
...
written by Matt, July 20, 2011
Hi,
I am currently working at Falkirk Mental Health Assocation as a Social Media Developer and am researching its potential uses for our charity. I found this article really insightful and would love to hear from anyone who has experiences positive or negative with social media and mental health. Please email me at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Thanks
...
written by Anne, July 20, 2011
Social media is good for my mental health. There are risks but people have choices about how to use, what to share, etc. The negatives are often stressed but realistic risk assessment and tools to manage how open or anonymous you want to be are usually lacking in these articles.
I rarely use twitter, FB or my blogs for support, more for being active socially online and off, and for diversion. But others do get a lot of support online. Most people get a range of benefits from being online. Another aspect to being active online under your own name is how it might be used against you when being assessed for benefits. A person can be a lot more social online than they can manage elsewhere. Also, like me, they may choose to be as positive as possible online, not sharing struggles, which will give a false impression of how well they manage most of the time.
... written by John Sawkins, July 20, 2011
I've noticed that whilst most folk just use facebook or twitter to express their immediate feelings - good or bad - without much thought about the consequences (me included!), others use it more as an opportunity to share ideas or useful websites / articles they have found. Copy-and-paste makes this so easy. Campaigns (e.g. on Murdoch's power)are great because they give you a real sense of having a democratic voice that can and does influence events, even across the world in America, for instance. I find it's probably best not to add a comment unless you've thought it through as you can inadvertently alienate friends. Let them make their own minds up on an issue of the day. On the other hand, if you feel really passionate about something, it is always best to show your true colours rather than try not to ruffle other people's feathers and end up standing up for nothing.
Write comment
|
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form
See our Submit Your Thoughts pages for details on how to submit a story to us or you can contact us.
 |
 |