Table 1.

Findings identified in studies: what are young people’s experiences of seeking help online?

Authors (year)	Findings related to young people's experiences online
Ellis et al (2013) [25]	Most females said that talking online helped (81.9%), and that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the online help they received. More than half of all male respondents reported that they had talked about their problems online (54.9%). Most said that talking online helped (81.3%), and that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the online help they received (82.9%).
Feng and Campbell (2011) [27]	In total, 59% of participants reported that online resources that they had used didn’t make things better or worse, 40% reported they helped a little, and only 1% of participants reported they helped a lot. Although there is a preference for text-based search engines and information sites, the current sample does not seem to find them to be efficacious.
Frost and Casey (2016) [29]	Over half of these online help-seekers perceived that they had more support available to them online than offline.
Frost et al (2016) [28]	Young people identifying the need for a nonjudgmental (n=68) and safe (n=14) environment and interactions. Many young people used the term nonjudgmental, whereas others indicated that they needed support in a way that was not stigmatizing, did not stereotype them, blame them, or label them as an attention seeker. Safety in online services for self-injury centered around the need for moderation, warnings about triggering content, and the risks of self-injury becoming competitive. Young people with a previous experience of online help-seeking were more likely to endorse the importance of reduced isolation and a supportive online culture.
Greidanus and Everall (2010) [44]	Most messages written by the trained volunteers took the form of an affirmation of some aspect of the help-seeker’s character. A strong sense of community was indicated in several of the threads when help-seekers stated they felt their experiences were understood and shared by other members. This sense appeared to be especially strong for those help-seekers who felt misunderstood by those in their offline lives. Most of the community members authored a number of threads themselves and posted in threads of other members, occasionally making reference to the content of other threads. Participant comments often indicated they found engagement on the site to be a positive experience and provided a place to express feelings, receive support, and obtain referrals.
Mars et al (2015) [36]	Almost a quarter of the sample had come across a site that discussed self-harm or suicide.
Ruppel and McKinley (2015) [31]	Participants with higher social support perceived websites and online support groups as more useful. The perceived usefulness of online support groups was highest among participants who had high levels of social anxiety and high levels of social support.
Wetterlin et al (2014) [33]	Most participants (87.7%) rated their privacy as a user as very important.