hochi, this is a very interesting article. One thing I found fascinating is that while about half of the respondents with depression were not receiving treatment, over a third said that the online community was a factor in their seeking treatment. So, while they conclude that Internet communities may "represent a traget for intervention", their data also seems to show that there is already intervention occurring within the communities.

Anyway, thanks for posting this. It's a pretty balanced paper, and would probably be a good thing for people to show to therapists who show disdain for these kinds of Internet communities, since it points out that they can provide value in addition to therapy.

mj