"I Want to Be Stepping in More" - Professional Online Forum Moderators' Experiences of Supporting Individuals in a Suicide Crisis.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Individuals experiencing suicidal crises increasingly turn to online mental health forums for support. Support can come from peers but also from online moderators, many of whom are trained health professionals. Much is known about users' forum experiences; however, the experiences of professional moderators who work to keep users safe has been overlooked. The beneficial nature of online forums cannot be fully realized until there is a clearer understanding of both parties' participation. This study explored the experiences of professional online forum moderators engaged in suicide prevention.

Materials and methods

A purposive sample of professionally qualified moderators was recruited from three online mental health organizations. In-depth semi-structured, video

SUBMITTER: Perry A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9238438 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature