{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,12]],"date-time":"2026-06-12T23:38:34Z","timestamp":1781307514095,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,7,16]],"date-time":"2018-07-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1531699200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/journals\/pages\/about_us\/legal\/notices"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100001009","name":"Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100001009","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2018,9,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Online peer support groups are an increasingly common venue for caregivers supporting disabled family members to exchange informational, emotional, and instrumental support. We know very little, however, about who uses these groups and whether they are reaching those with the greatest needs.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title><jats:p>To examine whether caregiving factors (ie, caregiving demands and strain, competing demands, access to support and services, and other caregiving characteristics) are related to online community support use and intensity of use.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Method<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study used data from a new survey of family caregivers who provide care to disabled military veterans. We used logistic regression models to examine the likelihood of online community support group usage and intensity of use as a function of a variety of caregiving factors.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Those with greater caregiving demands were more likely to use online peer support. Specifically, helping the care recipient with more activities was associated with a statistically significantly greater likelihood of visiting an online community support group. Caring for a veteran with a neurological or psychological condition, which, in prior work, suggests more complex care needs, was also positively and significantly related to visiting an online community support group. Hours of care and several other caregiving factors were related to intensity of use.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>We show that family caregivers with the most caregiving demands are most engaged with online support communities. This suggests that online communities could be used to support the most vulnerable family caregivers. The implications of this work for online support systems are discussed.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/jamia\/ocy086","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,6,13]],"date-time":"2018-06-13T03:13:50Z","timestamp":1528859630000},"page":"1130-1136","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":45,"title":["Online peer support groups for family caregivers: are they reaching the caregivers with the greatest needs?"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"25","author":[{"given":"Esther M","family":"Friedman","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Thomas E","family":"Trail","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christine Anne","family":"Vaughan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Terri","family":"Tanielian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,7,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B1","volume-title":"Families Caring for an Aging America","year":"2016"},{"key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B2","volume-title":"The State of the States in Family Caregiver Support: A 50-State Study","author":"Feinberg","year":"2004"},{"issue":"3","key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"344","DOI":"10.1093\/geront\/46.3.344","article-title":"Caregivers of frail elders: updating a national profile","volume":"46","author":"Wolff","year":"2006","journal-title":"Gerontologist"},{"issue":"3","key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113","DOI":"10.1007\/s12062-015-9116-0","article-title":"Impacts of informal caregiving on caregiver employment, health, and family","volume":"8","author":"Bauer","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Popul Ageing"},{"issue":"2","key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"217.","DOI":"10.31887\/DCNS.2009.11.2\/hbrodaty","article-title":"Family caregivers of people with dementia","volume":"11","author":"Brodaty","year":"2009","journal-title":"Dialogues Clin Neurosci"},{"key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"117","DOI":"10.1016\/j.maturitas.2015.12.008","article-title":"A systematic review of social support interventions for caregivers of people with dementia: are they doing what they promise?","volume":"85","author":"Dam","year":"2016","journal-title":"Maturitas"},{"issue":"4","key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1300\/J018v06n04_05","article-title":"The assessment of support group experiences by caregivers of dementia patients","volume":"6","author":"Wright","year":"1987","journal-title":"Clin Gerontologist"},{"key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B8","first-page":"137","article-title":"Personal relationships and computer-mediated support groups","author":"Wright","year":"2011","journal-title":"Computer-Mediated Communication in Personal Relationships"},{"key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B9","volume-title":"The Social Life of Health Information, 2011","author":"Fox","year":"2011"},{"issue":"1","key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"243","DOI":"10.1136\/amiajnl-2014-002841","article-title":"The influence of social networking sites on health behavior change: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"22","author":"Laranjo","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Am Med Inform Assoc"},{"issue":"Suppl_1","key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B11","first-page":"809.","article-title":"Components and outcomes of internet-based interventions for caregivers of older adults: systematic review","volume":"1","author":"Guay","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"issue":"1","key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.1111\/1540-4560.00248","article-title":"Internet paradox revisited","volume":"58","author":"Kraut","year":"2002","journal-title":"J Social Isssues"},{"issue":"3","key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"681.","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.75.3.681","article-title":"Coming out in the age of the internet: identity \u201cdemarginalization\u201d through virtual group participation","volume":"75","author":"McKenna","year":"1998","journal-title":"J Pers Soc Psychol"},{"issue":"9","key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"911","DOI":"10.1080\/10410236.2013.816911","article-title":"Lurking as an active participation process: a longitudinal investigation of engagement with an online cancer support group","volume":"29","author":"Han","year":"2014","journal-title":"Health Commun"},{"key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.7249\/RR499","volume-title":"Hidden Heroes: America's Military Caregivers","author":"Ramchand","year":"2014"},{"issue":"2","key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e18.","DOI":"10.2196\/jmir.992","article-title":"Self-reported differences in empowerment between lurkers and posters in online patient support groups","volume":"10","author":"van Uden-Kraan","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"issue":"6","key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"798","DOI":"10.1093\/geront\/29.6.798","article-title":"Application of a multidimensional caregiver burden inventory","volume":"29","author":"Novak","year":"1989","journal-title":"Gerontologist"},{"key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B18","volume-title":"Invisible Wounds of War: psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery","author":"Terri","year":"2008"},{"key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1002\/0471722146","volume-title":"Applied Logistic Regression","author":"Hosmer","year":"2000","edition":"2nd ed."},{"issue":"4","key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"257","DOI":"10.1093\/hsw\/26.4.257","article-title":"Family caregiving and traumatic brain injury","volume":"26","author":"Degeneffe","year":"2001","journal-title":"Health Soc Work"},{"issue":"8","key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"423","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1745-7599.2008.00342.x","article-title":"Caregiver burden among dementia patient caregivers: a review of the literature","volume":"20","author":"Etters","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Am Assoc Nurse Pract"},{"key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B22","volume-title":"The Veterans Health Administration\u2019s Treatment of PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury among Recent Combat Veterans.","author":"Bass","year":"2012"},{"issue":"3","key":"2020110612225729600_ocy086-B23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"205","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1015251210928","article-title":"Caregiver burden and psychological distress in partners of veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder","volume":"15","author":"Calhoun","year":"2002","journal-title":"J Trauma Stress"}],"container-title":["Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/academic.oup.com\/jamia\/article-pdf\/25\/9\/1130\/34150731\/ocy086.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"http:\/\/academic.oup.com\/jamia\/article-pdf\/25\/9\/1130\/34150731\/ocy086.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,5]],"date-time":"2025-07-05T03:07:01Z","timestamp":1751684821000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/jamia\/article\/25\/9\/1130\/5054573"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2018,7,16]]},"references-count":23,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,7,16]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2018,9,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/jamia\/ocy086","relation":{},"ISSN":["1067-5027","1527-974X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1067-5027","type":"print"},{"value":"1527-974X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published-other":{"date-parts":[[2018,9]]},"published":{"date-parts":[[2018,7,16]]}}}