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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 137-144 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Body Image |
| Volume | 24 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 1 2018 |
Keywords
- Content analysis
- Disordered eating
- Eating disorder symptoms
- Social media
- Social support