Use of the internet as the only outlet for talking about XXXX .

@entity1 @entity249 @entity308
OBJECTIVE: To gather information about demographic characteristics, medical status, mode of Internet participation, and psychological well-being of @entity1 whose only outlets (OOs) for talking about @entity249 are Internet medical and support forums and to compare them with @entity1 who have additional outlets (AOs). DESIGN: Prospective Internet-based survey. SETTING: Website of a nonprofit international @entity249 organization. @entity1 (S): Five hundred eighty-nine @entity1 submitting fully completed surveys. INTERVENTION(S): Internet-based survey with 134 items. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Survey of types of Internet participation, benefits of participation, self-assessed ability to cope with aspects of @entity249 , perceived stress, perceived support from relatives and friends, and 21-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), which is an instrument designed to measure depressive symptomatology. RESULT(S): Only-outlet and AO @entity1 were comparable in their medical history and treatments. Only-outlet @entity1 had less formal education, were less wealthy, and more likely to be homemakers. Compared with AO @entity1 , OO @entity1 were more depressed and got less real-world support while feeling more supported on the Internet. CONCLUSION(S): Used properly, the Internet can help @entity1 facing @entity249 by educating, empowering, and diminishing their feelings of @entity308 . But the Internet can also be used inappropriately to withdraw from real-world interactions.
