Sharing peer advice: A case study of Chinese patients’ narratives in an online support group for mental health

Abstract

Recent health communication studies have begun to look at online illness narratives, showing how narratives are used to report patients’ experience or to offer medical advice in various online contexts. However, few studies have sought to explore the communicative features of these online narratives in the Chinese context. Given the insufficient and uneven distribution of mental health resources and the intense stigma attached, an increasing number of Chinese patients with mental disorders are turning to online support groups (OSGs) for advice. We have limited understanding of Chinese patients’ lived experience or the potential of online illness narratives to be interpersonal tools for sharing advice. Drawing on computer-mediated discourse analysis, this study scrutinises narrative passages from a Chinese OSG to illustrate how individuals with mental illness interact in an online advisory context. The detailed analysis of narrative functions unpacks the potential of OSGs to provide storytelling opportunities for Chinese patients with mental disorders, allowing them to voice their concerns and experiences within the peer-to-peer network of relational understanding and support. This study also identifies a distinct feature of narrative activities in this online advisory context – the illness blog – and illustrates how its occurrence is related to the Chinese sociocultural values. This study can help raise awareness of illness narratives as a communication tool and facilitate culturally sensitive reactions of healthcare professionals towards patients’ narratives.