The Advantages of Online Mental Health Support Groups Versus the Desire for Social Life and Community Post-Pandemic (Preprint)

UNSTRUCTURED Many mental health support groups went virtual during the pandemic, where the support group I facilitated decided to remain virtual, due to the number of advantages that online support groups offer for programs with less resources that also benefit participants. My support group requires a chronic mental health diagnosis to facilitate, where I live with schizophrenia and have made a full recovery while on medication for life. I had previously been lead facilitator for this group for four years. Particularly with groups open to the public, online support groups clearly offer the most effective options for safety measures, establishing and maintaining boundaries, and offer anonymity to participants who may be hesitant to join a group otherwise. This article also explores practical and logistical benefits of online support groups for the organization and the participants they serve. The chief reason to go back to in person would be the participants’ desire to be able to reach out and contact others in the group to foster social ties and build community. We as a local organization decided to offer occasional socials to help fulfill this desire while benefiting from the advantages of online support groups.