'Online social support seeking gratifications in a Turkish cancer group: a two-wave longitudinal study of uses and gratifications'

Abstract

This study explored the changes in online social support sought by members of the cancer patient group, an online social support network in Turkey, from 2018 to 2024. This longitudinal, quantitative research design sample included 511 individuals who voluntarily participated in the second phase of the Kanserle Dans Facebook Support Group survey. Data analysis was carried out using a measurement tool specifically developed and adapted for the Turkish language and cultural context. Following the data analysis collected during the second phase of this ongoing study, non-parametric hypothesis tests were used to identify any significant differences in cancer patients' online social support needs between 2018 and 2024. As a result, notable differences were found regarding the search for online social support between the 2018 study and this study's forthcoming findings in 2024. In this study, the findings from the second phase were presented first. The findings from both the first and second phases were compared and evaluated in the discussion section.