{"doi":"10.2196/80717","title":"Experiences of Using Online Peer Forums Among People With Postpartum Psychosis: Interpretative Phenomenological Study","abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background</jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Although research has found online peer support forums to be helpful for those with mental health conditions, no studies have explored the experiences of those who use forums for support with postpartum psychosis (PP) specifically.</jats:p>\n                  </jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective</jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study aimed to understand the lived experiences of using online forums for PP, and how this form of support differs from professional and other informal support.</jats:p>\n                  </jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods</jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study used a qualitative approach, including semistructured interviews with 8 participants. Recruitment took place via an online forum run by a charity called Action on Postpartum Psychosis. Transcripts were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.</jats:p>\n                  </jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results</jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Four themes were developed in line with participants’ experiences (1) from isolation to connection: validation, growth, and hope from shared experiences; (2) complementing not replacing: filling the gaps in support; (3) impacts of privacy, representation, and readiness to share on engagement; and (4) relational experiences within peer support: altruism, boundaries, and comparison. All participants believed forums were helpful to their well-being and recovery; however, some also reported difficulties with engagement, comparison, and regulating their own use. Findings suggest that forums may benefit from being designed in a way that protects users and their identities, for example, via trigger warnings and setting boundaries.</jats:p>\n                  </jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Peer online forums offer a unique and potentially effective addition to existing support provided by professionals and personal connections. Professionals should signpost people experiencing PP to forums, but should also understand the support that may be needed in terms of monitoring use and ensuring that appropriate boundaries are put into place.</jats:p>\n                  </jats:sec>","journal":"JMIR Human Factors","year":2025,"id":654437,"datarank":0.0,"base_score":0.0,"endowment":0.0,"self_citation_contribution":0.0,"citation_network_contribution":0.0,"self_endowment_contribution":0.0,"citer_contribution":0.0,"corpus_percentile":null,"corpus_rank":null,"citation_count":0,"citer_count":0,"citers_with_citation_signal":0,"citers_with_endowment":0,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"is_dataset":false,"is_dataset_confidence":null,"is_data_producer":false,"deposit_databanks":null,"is_oa":false,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"has_version_chain":false,"published_date":null,"fair_score":null,"fair_percentile":null,"algorithm_id":"datarank_citation_only_1hop_v6","ranking_scope":"data_only","authors":[{"id":394678,"name":"Fiona Lobban","orcid":"0000-0001-6594-4350","position":1,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":1707971,"name":"Elizabeth Chamberlain","orcid":"0009-0004-9969-3712","position":2,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":764851,"name":"Katherine Williams","orcid":"0000-0002-9124-2034","position":0,"is_corresponding":false}],"reference_count":0,"raw_metadata":{"has_enrichment":true,"resolved":true,"title":"Experiences of Using Online Peer Forums Among People With Postpartum Psychosis: Interpretative Phenomenological Study","abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background</jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Although research has found online peer support forums to be helpful for those with mental health conditions, no studies have explored the experiences of those who use forums for support with postpartum psychosis (PP) specifically.</jats:p>\n                  </jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective</jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study aimed to understand the lived experiences of using online forums for PP, and how this form of support differs from professional and other informal support.</jats:p>\n                  </jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods</jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study used a qualitative approach, including semistructured interviews with 8 participants. Recruitment took place via an online forum run by a charity called Action on Postpartum Psychosis. Transcripts were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.</jats:p>\n                  </jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results</jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Four themes were developed in line with participants’ experiences (1) from isolation to connection: validation, growth, and hope from shared experiences; (2) complementing not replacing: filling the gaps in support; (3) impacts of privacy, representation, and readiness to share on engagement; and (4) relational experiences within peer support: altruism, boundaries, and comparison. All participants believed forums were helpful to their well-being and recovery; however, some also reported difficulties with engagement, comparison, and regulating their own use. Findings suggest that forums may benefit from being designed in a way that protects users and their identities, for example, via trigger warnings and setting boundaries.</jats:p>\n                  </jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Peer online forums offer a unique and potentially effective addition to existing support provided by professionals and personal connections. Professionals should signpost people experiencing PP to forums, but should also understand the support that may be needed in terms of monitoring use and ensuring that appropriate boundaries are put into place.</jats:p>\n                  </jats:sec>","is_dataset_classified":null,"base_score":0.0,"endowment":0.0,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"views":0,"has_version_chain":false,"is_dataset":false,"is_oa":false,"pmid":"41442698","pmcid":"PMC12780708","openalex_id":"https://openalex.org/W7117139589","authors":[],"funders":[],"total_grants":0,"fwci":0.0,"citation_percentile":0.6362073,"influential_citations":0,"citation_trend":[],"oa_status":"gold","license":"cc-by","oa_locations":[{"url":"https://humanfactors.jmir.org/2025/1/e80717/PDF","host_type":"journal"},{"url":"https://humanfactors.jmir.org/2025/1/e80717/PDF","host_type":"publisher"},{"url":"https://humanfactors.jmir.org/2025/1/e80717","host_type":"publisher"},{"url":"https://doi.org/10.2196/80717","host_type":"journal"},{"url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41442698","host_type":"repository"},{"url":"https://doaj.org/article/724f44e99734469caafc0f8c08cb22e1","host_type":"repository"},{"url":"https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/234599/","host_type":"repository"},{"url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12780708/","host_type":"repository"},{"url":"https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC12780708","host_type":"Europe_PMC"},{"url":"https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC12780708?pdf=render","host_type":"Europe_PMC"}],"fields_of_study":["Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum","Mental Health and Patient Involvement","Family Caregiving in Mental Illness","Humans","Female","Adult","Psychotic Disorders","Qualitative Research","Peer Group","Social Support","Postpartum Period"],"mesh_terms":["Adult","Female","Humans","Peer Group","Psychotic Disorders","Social Support","Qualitative Research","Postpartum Period"],"keywords":["Interpretative phenomenological analysis","Peer support","Online forum","Online discussion","Peer review","Social support","Qualitative research","Postpartum Psychosis","Puerperal Psychosis","Peer-to-peer Support","Postnatal Psychosis","Online Forums","Online Peer Support Forums"],"sdg_mappings":[],"linked_datasets":[],"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"database_accessions":[{"name":"doi"}],"source":"live","citation_network_status":"fetched"},"created_at":"2026-08-11T06:39:08.075597Z","pmid":null,"pmcid":null,"fwci":null,"citation_percentile":null,"influential_citations":0,"oa_status":null,"license":null,"views":0,"total_file_size_bytes":0,"version_count":0,"fair_f":null,"fair_a":null,"fair_i":null,"fair_r":null,"fair_zscore":null,"fair_rationale":null,"fair_model":null,"fair_agent_version":null,"fair_fulltext_source":null,"fair_has_llm":null,"fair_computed_at":null,"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"db_accessions":[],"linked_datasets":[],"topics":[]}