Connected loneliness: experiences of depression in a closed Facebook group

Considered a serious and highly prevalent disease, depression is a worldwide public health problem, being related to social conditions in some countries and the leading cause of disability. The aim of this study was to investigate experiences of depression in a closed Facebook group. This netnographic study revealed the meanings and particularities of a closed Facebook group from the perspective of people suffering depression. The study allowed us to understand the particularities of the experience of depression from the collective discussions held between the group members, as they felt more free to talk about themselves and others.

Depression; Experience of illness; Connected Loneliness; Facebook; Netnography