Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
Health Decision Technologies, Oakland, CA, USA.
AIDS Behav. 2017 Nov;21(11):3087-3099. doi: 10.1007/s10461-016-1587-3.
Social support can improve outcomes for people living with HIV (PLWH) and could be provided through online support groups. The Positive Links smartphone app is a multicomponent intervention that allows users to interact in a clinic-affiliated anonymous online support group. We investigated how social support was exchanged in a group of 55 participants over 8 months, using an adaptation of the Social Support Behavior Code. Participant interviews assessed their experiences and perceptions of the app. Of 840 posts analyzed, 115 (14 %) were coded as eliciting social support and 433 (52 %) as providing social support. Messages providing support were predominantly emotional (41 %), followed by network (27 %), esteem (24 %), informational (18 %), and instrumental (2 %) support. Participants perceived connection and support as key benefits of the app. Technical issues and interpersonal barriers limited some participants in fully using the app. Mobile technology offers a useful tool to reach populations with barriers to in-person support and may improve care for PLWH.
社会支持可以改善艾滋病毒感染者（PLWH）的治疗效果，并且可以通过在线支持小组来提供。Positive Links 智能手机应用程序是一种多成分干预措施，允许用户在一个与诊所相关的匿名在线支持小组中进行互动。我们使用社会支持行为代码的改编版，研究了在 8 个月的时间内，55 名参与者如何在一个小组中交流社会支持，参与者访谈评估了他们对应用程序的经验和看法。在分析的 840 个帖子中，有 115 个（14%）被编码为引出社会支持，433 个（52%）被编码为提供社会支持。提供支持的信息主要是情感支持（41%），其次是网络支持（27%）、尊重支持（24%）、信息支持（18%）和工具支持（2%）。参与者认为连接和支持是该应用程序的主要优势。技术问题和人际障碍限制了一些参与者充分使用该应用程序。移动技术为满足那些难以获得面对面支持的人群提供了一个有用的工具，并可能改善对 PLWH 的护理。
