Giving Support Through Multifunctional Self-disclosure

Previous studies have indicated that self-disclosure post messages are prevalent in online self-help groups. These studies tend to employ quantitative analytical approaches to reveal the correlations between self-disclosure post messages and their responses in terms of frequency and specific content. However, the functions of self-disclosure post messages have been overlooked. This chapter conducts discourse analysis to explore how participants utilize self-disclosure post messages to achieve various communicative purposes in online self-help groups for anxiety and depression (OSGADs) from personal, textual, and interpersonal perspectives. The results show that self-disclosure is multifunctional in the discourse. Identified functions of self-disclosure post messages include distancing from problems, releasing emotions, showing empathy/understanding, giving advice, encouraging more disclosure, and normalizing experiences. This chapter argues that self-disclosure post messages are significant in the online communication of social support, as they enable participants to offer emotional, informational, and network support simultaneously.