Psychotherapeutic Potential in Thread Openers’ Narratives

Previous research has found that online self-help groups related to healthcare can have therapeutic benefits. These therapeutic effects often arise from the social support provided by respondents. However, relevant studies appear to have overlooked the therapeutic potential of thread openers’ narratives. This chapter investigates the narratives of thread openers in online self-help groups for anxiety and depression (OSGADs). The data analysis focuses on unique outcomes, which refer to opportunities for therapeutic change to occur and are conceptualized within the framework of innovative moments (IMs). The findings indicate that the presence of IMs is what makes online narratives therapeutic, but they gradually diminish through interactions with respondents. This decline can arguably be attributed to respondents providing unsolicited support, suggesting that most users do not find resolution for their problems through participating in online self-help groups.