Faculty
Health Studies
Supervisor Name
Dr. Andrew M. Johnson
Keywords
Parkinson's disease, virtual support groups, individuals with Parkinson's disease, caregivers of individuals with Parkinson's disease
Description
Abstract
Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) may require substantial support, owing to the significant physical, cognitive, and psychological symptoms that are associated with the disease. Furthermore, caregivers of individuals with PD may struggle with the demands of their responsibilities, which can impact their quality of life and ability to participate in social activities. The purpose of this scoping review was to evaluate the factors associated with providing psychosocial support to individuals with PD and their caregivers through virtual support groups. We applied the scoping review methodology described by Arksey and O’Malley to the 15 articles identified within our literature search. Evidence suggests that virtual support groups provide similar experiences to in-person support groups, demonstrating that they can provide an effective form of support, particularly for individuals who have difficulty leaving their home (possibly due to symptom severity or mobility issues) or who are unable to locate suitable in-person resources in their geographical area. Thus, online support groups appear to serve as an effective form of social support for individuals with PD and their caregivers. The perceived level of benefit derived from online support groups is further influenced by factors such as age, group similarity, and disease severity. Overall, the use of virtual support groups may increase access to social support by addressing accessibility barriers and may be a particularly valuable adjunctive service for individuals living in rural areas, or for whom PD symptoms present mobility challenges.
Acknowledgements
I would thank my supervisor Dr. Andrew Johnson and co-worker Laura Mulder for their guidance and contribution to this project. I would also like to thank the Western Undergraduate Research Internship Program and the Faculty of Health Sciences for providing me with the opportunity to further my research skills.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Document Type
Paper
Providing Psychosocial support through Virtual Support Groups to Patients with Parkinson’s Disease and their Caregivers: A Scoping Review
Abstract
Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) may require substantial support, owing to the significant physical, cognitive, and psychological symptoms that are associated with the disease. Furthermore, caregivers of individuals with PD may struggle with the demands of their responsibilities, which can impact their quality of life and ability to participate in social activities. The purpose of this scoping review was to evaluate the factors associated with providing psychosocial support to individuals with PD and their caregivers through virtual support groups. We applied the scoping review methodology described by Arksey and O’Malley to the 15 articles identified within our literature search. Evidence suggests that virtual support groups provide similar experiences to in-person support groups, demonstrating that they can provide an effective form of support, particularly for individuals who have difficulty leaving their home (possibly due to symptom severity or mobility issues) or who are unable to locate suitable in-person resources in their geographical area. Thus, online support groups appear to serve as an effective form of social support for individuals with PD and their caregivers. The perceived level of benefit derived from online support groups is further influenced by factors such as age, group similarity, and disease severity. Overall, the use of virtual support groups may increase access to social support by addressing accessibility barriers and may be a particularly valuable adjunctive service for individuals living in rural areas, or for whom PD symptoms present mobility challenges.