Social media and eating disorder psychopathology: A systematic review

Abstract

The relationship between socialization through social media (SM) and eating disorders (EDs) is a serious problem for public health, largely affecting the mental health of younger people. This work aimed to identify scientific works addressing ED psychopathologies, studying their relationship with SM usage. In this systematic review, we analyze the available scientific evidence, thereby providing tools for intervention, prevention, and treatment. A systematic review and PRISMA analysis of narrative syntheses was carried out. Works were selected from the databases of Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and PsycINFO. Out of a total of 257 references, 19 articles were identified and selected; among them, correlational studies predominated. A growing interest in the subject matter was identified, as it is undergoing constant changes. The investigations found that EDs and SM usage are influenced by the time spent on SM, the type of interactions, and shared photographs, as well as gender and sociocultural context.

Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Individuals with Eating Disorders in Saudi Arabia: A Thematic Analysis

“…[I] try to work out at home but [it's] not the same feeling". It is already known that social media plays a large part in shaping and predicting ED behaviours [33,34] due to their tendency to promote social comparison [35], particularly content that focused on "fitspiration" [36]. Within the context of COVID-19, it was found that exposure to fitness-related content on social media led to greater appearance anxiety during this period [37], thereby corroborating the present study findings.…”

Fitspiration, related risks, and coping strategies: Recent trends and future directions.

“…Such negative feeling and discomfort is socioculturally driven and adversely affects individuals’ well-being and mental health. These negative emotions also interweave with distorted cognition that influences peoples’ understanding and attitudes toward appropriate exercise, eating behaviors, and body image (Bowles et al, 2021; Padín et al, 2021; Rounds & Stutts, 2020).…”

Eating Disorder and Its Causes

“…Multiple researchers have found that patients' attention to the display of body imagery on social media plays a significant role in leading to the will or idea of an alternated diet plan, thus triggering long-term mishandling of nutrients and energy intake [6]. Several issues and consequences are caused by long-term attention to the imagery or videos showing body imagery.…”