LAUSR

The purpose of this paper is to examine the benefits of online guided group journaling for an individual’s mental health. The authors focused on a specific social networking platform called Family eJournal.,In total, 51 female participants were recruited from an American university with an average age of 20 years. Participants completed an online survey called the Relationship and Lifestyle Questionnaire. The questionnaire utilized two subscales, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Diener et al., 1985) and the Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). In addition, the questionnaire also measured several items related to an individual’s health choices such as smoking or dieting. Half of the participants in the study were randomly assigned to the Family eJournal user group.,Following the ten-week time period, the Family eJournal group reported significantly higher social support and lower scores of depression compared to the non-Family eJournal control group. However, there was no difference between groups in regard to anxiety or health choices. Implications of online group journaling and future directions are discussed.,Current findings suggest that online journal sharing may provide a buffer from depression. For those who experience a negative perception of social experiences, building and maintaining interpersonal relationships becomes increasingly difficult, furthering the experiences of social isolation. Therefore, the ability to self-disclose and share personal experiences is crucial, albeit difficult to express (Heinrich and Gullone, 2006; Wei et al., 2005). As depression increases, individuals may alter the types of social, cognitive and emotional behaviors they employ. In turn, online asynchronous communication platforms may foster a reduction in discomfort in self-disclosure and increase positive perceptions of social experiences.,The findings suggest that the SNS platform FamilyeJournal may provide a simple opportunity to improve family relationships. Asynchronous online communication is immune to drawbacks and barriers associated with traditional means of communication such as busy schedules and geographic disparity (Perron, 2002).,Online social networking may be a beneficial way to connect with others and facilitate positive mental health.,While the authors have known the benefits of journaling for some time, few studies to date have examined the potential benefits of asynchronous communication via online journaling. Online journaling platforms may provide an attractive avenue for enhancing the well-being for individuals who have limited opportunities to communicate in real time.