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Community transformed? Exploring the interaction between online support and rural community life for people with acute mental health conditions
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-21, 17:08 authored by Susan KilpatrickSusan Kilpatrick, Farmer, J, Sherridan EmerySherridan Emery, Kamstra, P, Steiner, A, McCosker, B, Carlisle, KSince the onset of COVID-19, the benefits of online platforms to enhance rural service accessibility are more acknowledged. However, questions remain about the interconnected roles of geographical community and online digital communities in enhancing rural life – particularly for marginalised groups. In this study, we examine one Australian non-profit's online peer support forums as technology enabling transformed community experiences for rural people with mental health conditions. Interviews exploring forum use were conducted with 20 rural forum users in 2021. We found technology affordances were appropriated to target rural service and social interaction gaps, giving people resources used online, and also enabling coping in their geographical community. The study illustrates the benefits of understanding what rural people do with different technologies that can illuminate how apparently “one-size-fits-all” technologies can be appropriated to fill certain rural structural holes in social and service systems.
Funding
Australian Research Council
History
Publication title
Journal of Rural StudiesVolume
99Pagination
167-175ISSN
0743-0167Department/School
Faculty of EducationPublisher
Pergamon-Elsevier Science LtdPlace of publication
The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, England, Ox5 1GbRights statement
© 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd.Repository Status
- Restricted