Mental Health Information on the Web: Interactivity of Greek and Finnish Websites
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Abstract
Background
Although, eHealth is an essential element of the EU’s Digital Agenda, there are huge disparities between member states. Finland is the second European country (58%) on online health information-seeking, while Greece (30%) is among the last. The percentage of mental health-seekers is growing, as well as the number of people affected by a mental disorder. Various studies suggest low interactivity scores among health-related websites. People with schizophrenia and related disorders face difficulties in perception, communication and decision-making, among others. Therefore, we need to adapt the provided online health information according to users’ needs and difficulties. It is uncertain whether these people access high quality health-related websites, or they are given the possibility of using effectively the interactive nature of the Internet.
Objective
To describe the interactivity of websites which appear first on an online search, when search terms related to mental disorders are used in Finnish and Greek.
Methods
The data was collected through online search conducted in November 2011. Website selection was performed via the Finnish and Greek version of ‘Google’, which is the most popular search engine in both countries. Four search terms in Greek and Finnish language were used: ‘mental illness’, ‘mental disorder’, ‘schizophrenia’ and ‘psychosis’. The twenty first websites of each search term were screened (N=160), including the health-oriented websites, along with blogs, wikis and forums targeting in mental health issues. Excluded were inactive links, external files, duplicates and incidental results. Interactivity was measured using a scale with five items (1=present, 0=not present): within site search engine; audio or video support; questionnaires about users’ satisfaction, knowledge or health status; supporting bodies (forums, discussion rooms) and possibility to contact webmaster or authors. Data was analyzed by descriptive statistics.
Results
The interactivity mean score for all the included websites (n=58) was 1.79 (SD=.87), while Greek data scored slightly higher than Finnish (1.85 vs. 1.71). There were no statistically significant differences between the Greek (n=34) and Finnish (n=24) websites. Among all five interactivity items, the biggest deviation was noted in the presence of audio or video support, where Greek websites provided audio or visual health information five times more than Finnish (21% vs. 4%, P=.07). Intra-site search engine appeared more times in Finnish than in Greek websites (71% vs. 56%, P=.25). The possibility to contact webmaster or authors, was more likely to be found in Greek data (79% vs. 67%, P=.28). Few evaluation questionnaires existed, with a slight precedence in Greek sites (9% vs. 8%, P=.95). Finally, the occurrence of supporting bodies was the same in both countries (21%, P=.98).
Conclusions
The interactivity of Greek and Finnish websites was low, similarly to previous studies. Various types of first appearing websites were included (wikis, blogs, etc), not because it was expected they would fulfill all interactivity criteria, but to raise awareness of what users potentially find first. Both countries exhibit similar interactivity scores, despite the reported superior ICT experience and Internet access of the Finnish population. To support the insertion of vulnerable population into the information society, as the European Commission suggests, websites’ interactivity should be improved across EU.
Although, eHealth is an essential element of the EU’s Digital Agenda, there are huge disparities between member states. Finland is the second European country (58%) on online health information-seeking, while Greece (30%) is among the last. The percentage of mental health-seekers is growing, as well as the number of people affected by a mental disorder. Various studies suggest low interactivity scores among health-related websites. People with schizophrenia and related disorders face difficulties in perception, communication and decision-making, among others. Therefore, we need to adapt the provided online health information according to users’ needs and difficulties. It is uncertain whether these people access high quality health-related websites, or they are given the possibility of using effectively the interactive nature of the Internet.
Objective
To describe the interactivity of websites which appear first on an online search, when search terms related to mental disorders are used in Finnish and Greek.
Methods
The data was collected through online search conducted in November 2011. Website selection was performed via the Finnish and Greek version of ‘Google’, which is the most popular search engine in both countries. Four search terms in Greek and Finnish language were used: ‘mental illness’, ‘mental disorder’, ‘schizophrenia’ and ‘psychosis’. The twenty first websites of each search term were screened (N=160), including the health-oriented websites, along with blogs, wikis and forums targeting in mental health issues. Excluded were inactive links, external files, duplicates and incidental results. Interactivity was measured using a scale with five items (1=present, 0=not present): within site search engine; audio or video support; questionnaires about users’ satisfaction, knowledge or health status; supporting bodies (forums, discussion rooms) and possibility to contact webmaster or authors. Data was analyzed by descriptive statistics.
Results
The interactivity mean score for all the included websites (n=58) was 1.79 (SD=.87), while Greek data scored slightly higher than Finnish (1.85 vs. 1.71). There were no statistically significant differences between the Greek (n=34) and Finnish (n=24) websites. Among all five interactivity items, the biggest deviation was noted in the presence of audio or video support, where Greek websites provided audio or visual health information five times more than Finnish (21% vs. 4%, P=.07). Intra-site search engine appeared more times in Finnish than in Greek websites (71% vs. 56%, P=.25). The possibility to contact webmaster or authors, was more likely to be found in Greek data (79% vs. 67%, P=.28). Few evaluation questionnaires existed, with a slight precedence in Greek sites (9% vs. 8%, P=.95). Finally, the occurrence of supporting bodies was the same in both countries (21%, P=.98).
Conclusions
The interactivity of Greek and Finnish websites was low, similarly to previous studies. Various types of first appearing websites were included (wikis, blogs, etc), not because it was expected they would fulfill all interactivity criteria, but to raise awareness of what users potentially find first. Both countries exhibit similar interactivity scores, despite the reported superior ICT experience and Internet access of the Finnish population. To support the insertion of vulnerable population into the information society, as the European Commission suggests, websites’ interactivity should be improved across EU.
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