标题：Communication in Health-Related Online Social Support Groups/Communities: A Review of Research on Predictors of Participation, Applications of Social Support Theory, and Health Outcomes
摘要：This article reviews literature on online support groups/communities for individuals facing health concerns. Specifically,the article focuses on predictors of online support group/community participation, major theoretical frameworksthat have been applied to the study of online support groups/communities, and coping strategies and healthoutcomes for individuals facing health concerns. Finally, the article discusses the strengths and limitations of existingempirical studies in this area; presents a critique of the relative merits and limitations of a number of theoreticalframeworks that have been applied to the study of online support groups/communities for people facing health concerns;and it provides an agenda for future communication research on health-related online support groups/communities.
关键词：Online social support groups/communities; health communication; social support theory; computer; mediated communication; coping; health outcomes
