| Literature DB >> 29414146 |
Shaina J Sowles1, Monique McLeary2, Allison Optican1, Elizabeth Cahn1, Melissa J Krauss1, Ellen E Fitzsimmons-Craft1, Denise E Wilfley1, Patricia A Cavazos-Rehg3.
Abstract
Pro-eating disorder communities provide a refuge for individuals with eating disorders (EDs) who are ambivalent about seeking treatment. We investigated a pro-ED community on Reddit, an anonymous social networking platform with topical forums, to identify expression of behaviors aligned with ED symptoms and support for these behaviors. A content analysis on four weeks of topic-specific discussion threads (N=125 comments, 115 replies to comments) was conducted to identify behaviors consistent with ED psychopathology and support for these behaviors (informational, tangible assistance, esteem/emotional support). Results indicated that the content aligned with expressions of clinically relevant ED psychopathology, with eating concerns (49/125) and shape concerns (47/125) being most prevalent. The majority (92/115) of replies provided esteem/emotional support to the comment author. Online interventions and/or recovery programs are needed to counteract reinforcing dialogue that occurs on social media sites, like Reddit, and promote ED recovery through supportive messages on these platforms.Entities:
Keywords: Content analysis; Disordered eating; Eating disorder symptoms; Reddit; Social media; Social support
Mesh：
Year: 2018 PMID： 29414146 PMCID： PMC5869127 DOI： 10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.01.001
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Body Image ISSN： 1740-1445