Category Archives: Related Academic works

Generally, there are a few characteristics of social media that are been identified:

1. User Based
2. Interactive
3. Community Driven
4. Relationships
5. Emotions Over Contents
6. Create Pages

Application to TrustPal

All of the characteristics mentioned above apply directly with TrustPal.

1. User Based – The contents of TrustPal will be determined by the user. TrustPal can’t achieve its objectives without user involvement. Users populate the TrustPal with conversations, posts, and content. (Within Group Support) This make TrustPal as dynamic as any other well-known social network.
2. Interactive – TrustPal is very interactive because other than user involvement, there are several features that make it become more than a private-chat application, such as the user can rate support group threads.
3. Community Driven –  TrustPal is  built from community concepts. The idea of this project is generated from our concern about the problem faced by students at the University of Southampton. Other than that, the user can create the community in this TrustPal by creating the support groups & expanding upon current ones. Support groups can be created based on their same experience or problem.
4. Relationships – TrustPal thrives on relationships. By creating a relationship between mentor and student, we believe it will help motivate or support the user.
5. Emotion over content – User will finding that the TrustPal provides a great support, no matter what crisis they are faced with.
6. Create pages – By allowing the user to create support group in TrustPal.

Resources:

Dube, R.(n.d). Characteristics of Social Network. Retrieved from http://socialnetworking.lovetoknow.com/Characteristics_of_Social_Networks.

Saxena, S. (2013). 8 Key Characteristics Social Networking Sites. Retrieved from http://www.easymedia.in/8-key-characteristics-social-networking-sites/

Universities across the UK have a responsibility to develop appropriate interventions to respond to the welfare and mental health needs of their students. With the ever increasing reliance on technology and increasing amount of communication tools at students disposal, the need for universities to adapt and embrace new technologies is never been more pressing.

The online delivery of counselling has been noted as offering a positive effect on disinhibition and embraces the therapeutic benefit of writing. Online delivery benefits from increased access, flexibility, and on-time and on-demand services. Current research into online counselling has produced an significant amount of empirical studies that, for the most part, produced positive results. The broad area of computer-aided psychotherapy has produced studies that attest to the positive potential of online and remote delivery of psychological support (Richards, 2009).

TrustPal aims to create an environment which at it’s core promotes the advantages of what is known as ‘writing therapy’. There is evidence to suggest online counselling has the following advantages:

• Immediacy of expression of feelings. (Baughan, 2000)
• Greater control, writing gives the student a high degree of freedom to define her or his own experiences and explore whatever feels most relevant and proceed at a rate they feel comfortable with. (Wright, 2002)
• Privacy – shame is overcome within the anonymous setting of TrustPal.
• Client active participation in their own healing. (White & Epston, 1990).

There are some limitations in regards to online counselling & support, these were outlined in ‘Online Counselling: A descriptive analysis of therapy services on the internet’ by Chester & Glass (2007). They argued the inability to read non-verbal cues and the crucial role that body language plays in face-to-face discussion limits  the quality of help that can be given online. Online support is also severely lacking when it comes to severe pathology and risky behaviour such as suicidal conditions.

Application to TrustPal

It’s important to note that TrustPal aims to offer a first-step in the healing time-line for students in need. Most of the papers referred to are from Mental Healthcare and Counselling journals, the research from these offer a grounded basis for the successful application and adoption of a system such as TrustPal. TrustPal aims to utilise the current student body to help students in need. This means that though the staff of TrustPal will be students, they will need adequate training before being able to offer support and direction within the TrustPal environment. This is especially important when understanding and dealing with scenarios such as suicidal conditions.

As outlined above, TrustPal is born out of the evidence shown in many academic papers that anonymous online support offers advantages and will become an important channel for students to seek help 24/7.

Baughan, R. (2000). E-listening: the Samaritan’s experience. Counselling, 11(5), 292± 293.

Chester, A., & Glass, C. a. (2006). Online counselling: a descriptive analysis of therapy services on the Internet. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 34(2), 145–160. doi:10.1080/03069880600583170

Richards, D. (2009). Features and benefits of online counselling: Trinity College online mental health community. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 37(3), 231–242. doi:10.1080/03069880902956975

White, M. & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends. New York: Norton.

Wright, J. (2002). Online counselling: Learning from writing therapy. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 30(3), 285–298. doi:10.1080/030698802100002326

This post review the recent technologies, methods and tools that has been developed in the effort of developing ‘similar’ applications to the one we are suggesting: TrustPal. The review covers number of research papers in addition registered patents.

Recommending common interest users to each other:

This section will review the academic literature that suggest framework and tools to match common users with common interest. This feature can be useful in our application by automated the selection of chatting parts.

• Method and system for initiating conversations between callers having common interests [1]:

This patent suggest a framework for communication to find common interest between the registered users (i.e. the callers). Although the method does not specify the online communication, it suggest a way to match users (i.e. callers) with common interest.

• Method and apparatus for recommending a match to another [2]:

This invention main idea is to provide and recommending ‘a match to another’. “The invention provides people with a way to take an active role in matchmaking between a friend, family member or client of theirs and a prospect date from a database of prospect-users.”

Anonymous communications:

This section will discuss the related works in field anonymous communications.

• Method and system for enabling anonymous communications between two or more interested parties [3]:

This patent if very well suited to the framework of our suggested application. The patent presents a method and system for “communicating anonymously between two (or more) parties until such time that the parties may wish to reveal their identities to each other.”

• Communication between parties over the internet without revealing personal or security information[4] :

Although this patent was presented to be implemented for voice communication, the suggested framework can be used in online chat systems. The idea is based on generating a code by the user to be used in conducting anonymous communications.

References:

[1]        S. Okon and R. Tal, “Method and system for initiating conversations between callers having common interests.” Google Patents, 2003.

[2]        J. Y. Shapira, “Method and apparatus for recommending a match to another.” Google Patents, 2006.

[3]        P. Richard, “Method and system for enabling anonymous communications between two or more interested parties.” Google Patents, 2013.

[4]        C. Y. Liu and W. H. Chang, “Communication between parties over the internet without revealing personal or security information.” Google Patents, 2011.

Below is a brief breakdown of similar services managed and/or recommended by other UK Universities. For this, I’ve taken a sample of Universities who form part of the Russell Group association.

Birmingham University

• Nightline : Phone number / available from 6pm to 8am every night during term times.
• Student Mentor Scheme
• Listening service – linked in with the student mentor scheme
• No University live-chat advice line available

Bristol University

• Nightline
• Confidential counselling for young people up to 25
• Group support sessions
• Just Ask : Support for any issue – phone / email
• Vulnerable Students Service – Phone / Email / 24 hours a day
• No University live-chat advice line available

Cambridge University

• Student advice service
• University Counselling Service
• Group Sessions support service
• Linkline – run by Students – listening and information service – 7pm – 7am during term time.
• Recommendations for multiple services such as Cambridge Rape Crisis, B-eat Adult & B-eat Youth helplines ( helpline for those suffering with eating disorders), Samaritans, Saneline ( National service offering emotional support to anyone affected by mental illness.
• Individual college counsellors.
• No University live-chat advice line available

Sheffield University

• Student advice service
• University Counselling Service
• Nightline
• Counselling Service
• BiteBack University Service – Support group which offers both group and 1 to 1 advice to those who suffer from eating disorders.
• No University live-chat advice line available

Cardiff University

• SilverCloud Online Support – Computer-based therapeutic programs
• University Advice Squad – via email
• No University live-chat advice line available

University College London

• Peer Support Service – Student Minds UCL – A support group network for UCL students who suffer from eating disorders
• Students for Students – Group meet once every 2 weeks for those suffering from stress, anxiety etc
• Psycho-educational workshops – Cognitive therapy workshops to help with procrastination.
• Survivors network – in the process of being created, this group will offer support to students who are survivors of sexual assault.

Further reading:

All the above Universities recommended local and national charities across a range of advice and well fare issues.

Application To TrustPal

By reviewing what services are available at other UK universities, we can assess whether TrustPal fills a needed gap whilst also drawing inspiration from differing universities. As shown above, an application such as TrustPal would be beneficial to not only the students of the University of Southampton but many other UK institutions. There seems to be an over reliance for recommending already stretched national services such as ReThink and Samaritans. These Charities are fantastic but with TrustPal using the student-mentor chat and group support, we can give instant, relatable advice for students in need.