Psychiatric patients׳ internet use corresponds to the internet use of the general public
Abstract
The use of Internet has grown in the past number of years, including the increased application of various therapy programs for psychiatric patients which can be accessed online. Few studies investigating psychiatric patients' Internet use exist. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the number of psychiatric patients that use the Internet in comparison to the general population. Since patients with mental health disorders frequently suffer from a variety of disadvantages in society, it was evaluated whether psychiatric patients were disadvantaged particularly concerning the use and access of the Internet. Three hundred and thirty-seven patients participated in the study and completed a 29-item questionnaire. A response rate of 66% was achieved. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance and binary logistic regression analysis were used. Out of the participants, 79.5% were Internet users. This number corresponds to the Internet use of the general population. Young patients in particular were found to use online information, using mostly search engines to seek medical information. The results show that psychiatric patients do not rank below the general population concerning the frequency of Internet use, which is especially important for accessing health related information online or participating in online programs.
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Initial studies from 2015 found that nearly half of a sample of psychiatric patients were social media users, with greater use among younger individuals.
“Initial studies from 2015 found that nearly half of a sample of psychiatric patients were social media users, with greater use among younger individuals (Trefflich, Kalckreuth, Mergl, & Rummel-Kluge, 2015)”
From Social Media and Mental Health: Benefits, Risks, and Opportunities for Research and Practice (2020) · cites this paper as Trefflich, Kalckreuth, Mergl, & Rummel-Kluge, 2015
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Social Media and Mental Health: Benefits, Risks, and Opportunities for Research and Practice
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- Authors
- Trefflich, F., Kalckreuth, S., Mergl, R., & Rummel-Kluge, C.
- Affiliations
- Leipzig University (DE)
- ORCID
- Mergl, Roland
- Venue
- Psychiatry Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-03
- Volume
- 226
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 136-141
- ISSN
- 0165-1781 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1994683846
- Cited by
- 66
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 4
- FWCI
- 12.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychiatry Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Literacy and Information Accessibility
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Keywords
- internet use, psychiatric patients, mental illness, online health information, online therapy, digital divide, search engines, young patients
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Mental Disorders, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Patients, Surveys and Questionnaires, Persons with Mental Disabilities, Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, Internet
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