Psychotherapy 2.0: MySpace® Blogging as Self–therapy

A survey conducted by America Online (AOL®) in 2005 reported the startling finding that almost 50% of those posting entries on internet logs (weblogs or blogs), use them as a form of self–therapy. This finding went relatively unnoticed by psychotherapists and other mental health professionals. Given the rather significant global population of bloggers (those who post internet journal entries) and readers, and the seemingly intractable problem of mental illness worldwide (according to the World Health Organisation, the global burden of mental illness accounts for more than the burden of all cancers put together), the possibility of blogging as self–therapy deserves greater attention. Research investigating the health possibilities of blogs holds particular promise, at least for those disposed to writing and those working with patients who write. This paper addresses the question of how one might blog within a social network as a form of self–therapy. Based on an interview conducted with a blogger in May 2007, we construct a portrait of an individual who uses a blog as self–therapy.