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Online support group as a space for a story about depression and other mental disorders. The case of the "Porcelanowe Angels" group

Przeglad Socjologii Jakosciowej, ISSN: 1733-8069, Vol: 17, Issue: 2, Page: 110-131
2021
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Article Description

The article presents the results of qualitative research of the Facebook support group "Porcelanowe Aniołki". The main aim of the article is to show the role of stories about the disease in shaping the identity of people struggling with mental problems and how the functioning of the analyzed support group allows these stories to resonate. The author argues that such a community provides space for stories that are easier to tell online or through it. Thanks to this, it is possible to construct stories about the subjective experience of the disease. The empirical basis of the article is the induced biographical data in the form of letters from group members. The main material analyzed is enriched by online participant observation, which was aimed at recognizing the general mechanisms of the functioning of "Porcelain Angels", and individual in-depth interviews with psychologists and suicidologists, which show the broader context of the group's functioning. The text begins with a review of the literature in the field of sociology and anthropology of health, sociology of interaction, sociology of the Internet, and a review of Polish research conducted so far by online support groups. Then methodological and ethical issues are considered. Later on, the author goes on to discuss and analyze the collected material. Her considerations lead her to the conclusion that in the online space of the support group and thanks to it, the authors of letters can better understand their own medical history, beyond medical definitions. The text begins with a review of the literature in the field of sociology and anthropology of health, sociology of interaction, sociology of the Internet, and a review of Polish research conducted so far by online support groups. Then methodological and ethical issues are considered. Later on, the author goes on to discuss and analyze the collected material. Her considerations lead her to the conclusion that in the online space of the support group and thanks to it, the authors of letters can better understand their own medical history, beyond medical definitions. The text begins with a review of the literature in the field of sociology and anthropology of health, sociology of interaction, sociology of the Internet, and a review of Polish research conducted so far by online support groups. Then methodological and ethical issues are considered. Later on, the author goes on to discuss and analyze the collected material. Her considerations lead her to the conclusion that in the online space of the support group and thanks to it, the authors of letters can better understand their own medical history, beyond medical definitions.

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