University of Twente Student Theses

Managing a Chronic Illness: An Exploratory Cross-sectional Study on the Association Between Contributing to an Online Self-help Platform and the Self-management, Illness Perception, and Chronic Care Assessment of Users Suffering From Chronic Tinnitus

Terborg, M. (2023) Managing a Chronic Illness: An Exploratory Cross-sectional Study on the Association Between Contributing to an Online Self-help Platform and the Self-management, Illness Perception, and Chronic Care Assessment of Users Suffering From Chronic Tinnitus.

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Abstract:	Background. Chronic tinnitus is a bothersome condition that comes with a broad spectrum of symptoms and consequences to manage. Unfortunately, a lack of proper exhaustive research inhibits the development of sufficient treatment options and thus, patients often do not have access to the necessary resources. Oftentimes, patients then fall back on (online) self-help groups to get informational, social, and emotional support. Self-help platforms are beneficial for patients on various dimensions, by providing support, giving access to information, and offering a space to discuss. Objective. This study aimed to discover to what extent the contribution to the tinnitus-specific self-help platform tinnitus talk is associated with three aspects important for dealing with a chronic illness: self-management, illness perception, and chronic care assessment. Specifically, it was assessed how different degrees of post contribution (current, previous, and no contribution) are associated with the three outcome variables. Three hypotheses were proposed. (1) Those who actively contribute to tinnitus talk have better self-management abilities. (2) Those who actively contribute to tinnitus talk have a less severe illness perception. (3) Those who actively contribute to tinnitus talk perceive chronic illness care to be insufficient. Method. This was investigated by means of a cross-sectional study, sampling participants from tinnitus talk. The participants filled out a survey via Qualtrics consisting of demographic questions and pre-established questionnaires frequently used in psychology. Results. Data analysis showed insignificant effects of post contribution for all three outcome variables. Hence, all three hypotheses were rejected. Conclusion. This indicates that tinnitus talk is equally effective for active users versus previously active or inactive ones. It can be suggested that other mechanisms are more impactful in terms of how online self-help platforms work to benefit their users. This remains a subject of investigation for future research
Item Type:	Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:	BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:	77 psychology
Programme:	Psychology BSc (56604)
Link to this item:	https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/95473
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