How Facebook and Twitter Can Help Patients Cope

In any given year, there are more than 20 million adult-aged Americans contending with the daily battle of major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, as well as bipolar depression, which is linked to bipolar disorder’s manic-depressive stages. Coping with a mentally debilitating condition is a laborious undertaking for individuals who lack a solid, supportive team of professionals, friends and family.

Depressive patients are fragile and their paths toward recovery often are riddled with false starts and successive setbacks brought on by breakdowns and relapses. Those sufferers lacking a sympathetic network of qualified experts and trusted allies may find themselves unable to overcome the fears, issues and challenges associated with severe depression. Social networks, such as Facebook® and TwitterTM, are new tools in the mental health field that may help patients understand that they are not alone in their struggles and provide support from others dealing with similar issues.

Charting the Difference: MDD and Bipolar Depression

MDD affects a person’s mental state, their behavior and overall outlook on life and can be the source of both the emotional and physical problems they experience. Major depression is a chronic illness that debilitates a person, handicapping them from living a fulfilling life. Normal day-to-day activities for the nearly 15 million adult-aged Americans with depression are made difficult and small changes in once-normal routines may make sufferers perceive their lives as not worth living because they no longer enjoy activities that once made them happy. People do not simply snap out of depressive trances, but instead may require psychological counseling, life coaching and even mood-stabilizing medication to fully restore their mental health.

Bipolar depression differs from MDD or regular depression because it is one-half of the manic-depressive cycle all bipolar patients must contend with. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, some 6 million adults suffer from mood swings ranging from the highs of mania, or excessive enthusiasm, to the lows of intense depression brought on by this illness. A long-term condition, bipolar disorder can be extremely disruptive to a person’s life, especially if mood swings become more frequent or increase in severity. Medication and psychotherapy are helpful coping mechanisms for patients during the depressive stage.

The median onset age of MDD is 32 years but it can affect a person at any age. Bipolar disorder or depression is not usually diagnosed until about the age of 25 for most individuals. Regardless of when it is diagnosed or when treatment begins, both forms of depression are permanent fixtures in a person’s life and, as such, should be dealt with daily through therapy, medication or a combination thereof.

The Social Network Approach

Researchers claim as high as 80 percent of depressed people are not currently being treated. However, new treatment paradigms are proving to make serious inroads into this large number—and these inroads explore novel approaches that may be more agreeable to depressive patients. The biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, for example, recently launched a comprehensive campaign it calls “Take On Depression,” which spans two of the most popular networks of social media. The company’s “Take on Depression” Facebook page and @FaceDepression Twitter feed strive to assist, inform and motivate those affected by bipolar depression and MDD through these much-visited social networking sites.

“AstraZeneca believes the best way to help those who are still struggling with bipolar depression and MDD is to provide them with resources and tools to help [them] understand their illness and manage their symptoms,” said Sandy Sommer, executive director with AstraZeneca. “With the launch of these Facebook and Twitter pages, AstraZeneca hopes to amplify conversations about mental health and provide important health information in innovative ways.”

Some 80 percent of all consumers have searched for health information online, of which 60 percent of American adult searchers have also accessed social media related to the health field. The continuing prevalence of social media makes a potent case for outreach like AstraZeneca’s.

Key Supportive Measures

A study conducted by Yazino and Opinium in 2010 showed the average person utilizing 11 different methods of communication daily, including email, Facebook, Twitter and instant messaging. Twenty-six percent of adults surveyed say they socialize more online than in person. The lowered inhibition and diminished anxiety of Internet users coupled with increased anonymity and the ease of social networking from your home may well create an ideal situation for depressive patients to overcome their illness.

One of the impressive aspects of the Internet is that it can provide patients with—or at least open the window to—24-hour support. This continual source of personal support from friends and programs like “Take On Depression” immediately expands the support system options available to a patient and further alleviates the burden of in-person support teams. Studies show 54 percent of people believe depression is a personal weakness. Most people afflicted with depression wish not to burden their friends and family with their problems, so the social network support system relieves these teams from the total responsibility of providing one-on-one care for sufferers.

Face-to-face care also comes with a mixed bag of consequences. Individuals afflicted with chronic depression or bipolar disorder often feel embarrassed by their situation and of their illness. The rate of depression among females is twice that of males, according to researchers, with approximately 30 percent of women diagnosed as depressed. Of these women, 41 percent are too embarrassed to seek help. The anonymity of the Internet allows for complete privacy and confidentiality, perhaps creating a more open portal for clinical research and discussion for the average patient. This may create a sort of safe-haven for depressive patients to freely converse with other people about their situation and recovery without the anxiety of a meeting.

Therapy, though necessary, can be costly. The financial burden of paying for therapist fees, especially without financial assistance from insurance providers, is a recovery roadblock stopping many depressed people from receiving the help they truly need.

The behavioral health side of insurance plans can be cost-prohibitive and restrictive in terms of the frequency of therapist visits and the total number of therapy sessions. The Internet and, by extension, social networking sites allow for patients and professionals to collaborate quickly and efficiently to ensure the success of wellness programs and illness management.

Possible Hazards

When participating in online support groups, it is vitally important that patients remember to always use a nickname to ensure anonymity. Those dealing with depression are extremely vulnerable to online predators. It is important that patients protect themselves by never disclosing any personal or financial information. A key way to ensure patients are connecting with the right people is to do your research. Find reputable reviews of online support groups and only go ahead with those that are highly recommended. Referrals from health professionals or other people who have overcome depression are often the best resources.

The “Take on Depression” campaign provides tools and resources to patients struggling with depression through the Facebook site and links to websites, tips and community events through the Twitter feed. The Facebook page also contains information about depression, including symptoms and calls for support, as well as features like questions and answers with healthcare experts.

Combining a community portal with information on disease states and symptom management is an exciting development that stands to grow in the future. In the terms of Facebook, it may be a recipe that patients—and the healthcare system—will fundamentally “like.”