Online support groups are a popular form of support service delivery now common on the Internet.

Surveys conducted both in the US and Ireland show that a substantial proportion of Internet users access the Internet for health reasons. In 2002, 80% of American Internet users (55% of all adults) accessed the web for health information. And in 2000, 4.9 million American Internet users participated in emotional support settings on line (Fox, 2000).

In Ireland, a survey conducted in 1999 reported that about half of all Irish households have Internet access (Amarach Consulting, 2000). And this figure has risen due to strong home-computer sales. Almost 3 in 10 Irish Internet users frequented newsgroups, and 22% visited chat rooms regularly (Amarach Consulting, 2000).

Findings from preliminary studies of online support that have been conducted have been largely positive.

One example of a successful online support group was for women with breast cancer. The researchers demonstrated that participation in the support group led to positive symptom change. Patients showed a decrease in depression, cancer related trauma, and perceived stress (Lieberman, et al., 2003; Winzelberg, Classen, Roberts, et al., 2002).

A breakthrough study in online support groups conducted in Stanford University concerns online intervention for women with high body-image concerns, called Student Bodies. Online support group meetings and their results were studies and compared to those of a control group. Similar results were found to that of the women with breast cancer. Participants showed significantly greater reductions in weight or shape concerns than in the control group (Zabinski, Wilfey, Calfas, et al, 2002).

Even more interestingly, 79% of participants reported that online conversations were much better than face-to-face conversations, and 93% preferred the synchronous (real-time) communication (Zabinski, Celio, Wilfley & Taylor, 2003).

This programme has been a breakthrough in terms of internet-delivered interventions, as it has recently demonstrated that participants’ reductions in shape and weight concerns were sustained after 3-years.

These two interventions are but two examples of the kind of service that can be delivered over the Internet to effect positive and importantly, sustained changes in service users.