Facebook-based social support and health: a\ua0systematic review

The rise of social networking sites have provided a new avenue for interpersonal communication. Facebook, as the largest social networking site targeted at providing access to interpersonal social networks, has been found to be a source of social support. Facebook-based social support has been found to be beneficial across a number of health outcomes; however, no systematic evaluation of these effects, and the factors that influence them, has been conducted. A systematic review has been conducted to examine the effects of Facebook-based social support on health. A total of 27 studies met selection criteria and were included in the final review. Facebook-based social support was found to impact health across three major domains: general health, mental illness, and well-being. Facebook-based social support was found to improve general physical and mental health, as well as well-being. It was also found reduce to symptomology associated with mental illness, including depression, anxiety, online victimization, and loneliness. There were a number of behavioral factors that influenced these outcomes, including social comparison, communication competence, and self-disclosure. Although the effects of Facebookbased social support was found to be generally positive, future research is required to explore how best to maximize this new form of social support