Table 2.

Benefits of seeking help online by study.

Authors (year)	Findings related to benefits of online help-seeking
Bell et al (2018) [24]	Online help-seeking allows young people to communicate with others (social support but also reducing isolation). Information is readily available. Supportive sense of community and acceptance. Comfort and relief in realizing that they are not alone.
Best et al (2016) [9]	Anonymity Ease of access Immediacy Absence of judgement Can control level of disclosure
Best et al (2014) [22]	Some males may not disclose problems to others, but they are receiving some form of support through help-seeking practices online. Online help-seeking is not affected by Socio Economic Status or educational attainment. Online sources may be providing young males with an additional outlet to seek social support.
Birnbaum et al (2017) [47]	Opportunities for early intervention, as information found online can play an important role in the treatment-seeking decision-making process. Young people are fearful to talk to close others about their symptoms but are comfortable to use the internet for further understanding. Social media gives mental health clinicians the opportunity to engage and meaningfully interact with struggling youth at the earliest phases of illness potentially altering the trajectory to care. Online information seeking plays an important role in the initiation of help-seeking by influencing individual’s understanding of symptoms and their decision to seek professional help.
Bradford and Rickwood (2014) [35]	Anonymity Information that is easily accessible Finding others who have similar experiences.
Burns et al (2016) [13]	Reasons for preference of online resources included the anonymity of the internet, that information was easily accessible, and that there are often people in chat rooms who have been through the same thing. Boys were shown to have a stronger preference for online resources compared with face-to-face help relative to girls.
Burns et al (2010) [48]	Access online mental health resources in crisis outside of working hours (after 11 pm).
Collin et al (2011) [12]	Online help-seeking helps young people to be more willing to ask a professional for help. Upon having positive experience, help-seekers become advocates of help-seeking. Gateway services promote timeous help-seeking.
Ellis et al (2013) [25]	Preference instead for self-help and action-oriented strategies. The internet addresses their desire for anonymity and self-help.
Frost and Casey (2016) [29]	Online help-seekers indicated a greater intention to seek help for self-injurious behavior in the future. A significant difference in help-seeking intentions from professionals emerged, with online help-seekers indicating significantly higher intentions to seek professional help compared with individuals who did not seek help online. The internet may have an important role to play in mitigating help negation in young people who self-injure. Young people who sought help online in relation to self-injury indicated a significantly greater intention to seek help for self-injurious behavior in the future, even after controlling for age, gender, and psychological distress.
Frost et al (2016) [28]	Over half of the sample indicated a desire to use the internet as a first step but to later gain support offline. The internet may provide a way of accessing support that is perceived as remaining private and within the control of the young person. Perceived sense of community and belonging for young people who self-injure.
Greidanus and Everall (2010) [44]	It is clear these help-seekers, who reported not feeling comfortable seeking help from professional offline services, were able to use internet-based communication to create a community where they found support and offered support to their peers. Children and adolescents who use alternative communication technologies find internet-based communications meaningful and personally relevant. Help-seekers identified anonymity, accessibility, and access to peers who understand their experiences as important aspects of online help. Help-seekers reported finding it easier to disclose some experiences online than offline.
Horgan and Sweeney (2010) [30]	Anonymity, privacy, and confidentiality. Accessibility, speed, and cost. Believed that they would not be judged and believed it would be a good place to get initial information. Easier to express themselves. Ability to communicate with others in similar situations to find out how they are coping. Young people indicated they are less likely to lie online. Young people are reluctant to access mainstream mental health services because of fear of judgement and because of the stigma that still exists in relation to mental health problems.
Mar et al (2014) [43]	Participants recounted using the internet to find others coping with similar problems, research their symptoms and prescribed medications, or understand their diagnosis. Participants also emphasized that knowing there is a community of others helps them to recognize that they are not alone with their problems. Participants sought a variety of e-mental health features, especially for engaging in active coping, such as journaling. Online services may afford them a level of privacy. E-mental health services may lessen the burden on providers or provide resources for patients waiting to access care. E-mental health services may help to treat those with mild symptoms or those who do not wish to seek professional support. Online services may also help direct those in need to the traditional health care system.