Social media: understandings and experiences in eating disorders
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Social media: understandings and experiences of young people with a diagnosis of an eating disorder.
IRAS ID
194395
Contact name
Catherine S. Stewart
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 0 days
Research summary
The relationship between eating disorders and social media is of both clinical and social importance.
Social media has been defined as “forms of electronic communication (websites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content” (Merriam-Webster online dictionary, 2013). The current generation of young people are the first to have reached adolescence at a time when social media usage has become synonymous with modern life. Social media use is highest amongst young people (Ofcom, 2012). 85% of 13 to 14 year olds and 92% of 15-16 year olds have a profile on at least one social media platform (Lilley et al., 2014).
How social media interacts with disordered eating is an important psychological, social and clinical issue. Social media is a relatively new phenomenon requiring further research to increase understanding of the psychological processes associated with its use.
Young people between the ages of 13 and 18 accessing a Tier 4 CAMHS with a diagnosis of an eating disorder will be recruited to this study. Data will be collected through individual semi-structured interviews focussing on each young person’s use of social media and the ways in which this interacts with their eating disorder. Data will be analysed using Thematic Analysis (TA). It is hoped that the findings will increase knowledge about the use of social media within this population and inform recommendations for clinical practice and service development.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/0460
Date of REC Opinion
15 Apr 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion