Expanded Behavioral Model for Online Support Services

The rapid expansion of online technologies and health resources has created opportunities to develop broadly available interventions to address the needs of the modern patient. This study proposes a theoretical structure based on Andersen's Individual Determinants of Health Service Utilization Model to describe who is using online support and how it is being used. Also unique to this analysis was the use of objective behavioral data to describe and predict website utilization, and linguistic analysis to evaluate the content of what is shared in online groups. Eighty-four men and women completed baseline evaluations and were randomized into either online support or a waiting-list control condition. The overall theoretical structure did not produce a significant model; however the individual variables education, past online experience, and time spent online were predictive of participation. The somewhat unexpected finding that those with no prior online group experience and those who were high school educated were more likely to participate is discussed. If replicated, these findings may lend support to the idea that online interventions could provide needed support to individuals who do not typically participate in face-to-face interventions, and that the barriers to online group participation are not the same as the barriers for face-to-face group participation.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year

2011

Author dc:creator

• Boxley, Laura

Contributors dc:contributor

• Owen, Jason
• Arechiga, Adam
• Bantum, Erin O'Carroll
• Boyd, Kenny
• Vermeersch, David

• Clinical Psychology
• Individual Differences; Mental Health -- Computer Network Resources; Health Services Accessiblity;
• Online Health Resources
• Andersen's Individual Determinants of Health Service Utilization Model
• Online Support
• Group Participation

Statement dc:rights

• This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/21

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsrepository.llu.edu:etd-1020