Background: A growing body of evidence is suggesting a significant association between the COVID-19 pandemic and population-level mental health. Study findings suggest that individuals with a lifetime history of disordered eating behavior may be negatively affected by COVID-19–related anxiety, and prevention measures may disrupt daily functioning and limit access to treatment. However, data describing the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on disordered eating behaviors are limited, and most findings focus on individuals in treatment settings. Objective: The aim of this study is to characterize the experiences of Reddit users worldwide who post in eating disorder (ED)–related discussion forums describing the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on their overall mental health and disordered eating behavior. Methods: Data were collected from popular subreddits acknowledging EDs as their primary discussion topic. Unique discussion posts dated from January 1 to May 31, 2020 that referenced the COVID-19 pandemic were extracted and evaluated using inductive, thematic data analysis. Results: Six primary themes were identified: change in ED symptoms, change in exercise routine, impact of quarantine on daily life, emotional well-being, help-seeking behavior, and associated risks and health outcomes. The majority of users reported that the COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health prevention measures negatively impacted their psychiatric health and contributed to increased disordered eating behaviors. Feelings of isolation, frustration, and anxiety were common. Many individuals used Reddit forums to share personal experiences, seek advice, and offer shared accountability. Conclusions: Reddit discussion forums have provided a therapeutic community for individuals to share experiences and provide support for peers with ED during a period of increased psychiatric distress. Future research is needed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on disordered eating behavior and to evaluate the role of social media discussion forums in mental health treatment, especially during periods of limited treatment access.

中文翻译：

---

COVID-19 大流行对饮食失调行为的影响：社交媒体帖子的定性分析


背景：越来越多的证据表明，COVID-19 大流行与人口心理健康之间存在显着关联。研究结果表明，终生有饮食失调行为史的个体可能会受到与 COVID-19 相关的焦虑的负面影响，而预防措施可能会扰乱日常功能并限制获得治疗的机会。然而，描述 COVID-19 大流行对饮食失调行为影响的数据有限，而且大多数研究结果都集中在治疗环境中的个人。目的：本研究的目的是描述全球 Reddit 用户的经历，这些用户在饮食失调 (ED) 相关讨论论坛上发帖，描述了 COVID-19 大流行对其整体心理健康和饮食失调行为的影响。方法：从流行的 Reddit 子版块收集数据，承认 ED 是其主要讨论主题。使用归纳、主题数据分析提取并评估了 2020 年 1 月 1 日至 5 月 31 日期间提及 COVID-19 大流行的独特讨论帖子。结果：确定了六个主要主题：ED 症状的变化、锻炼习惯的变化、隔离对日常生活的影响、情绪健康、寻求帮助的行为以及相关的风险和健康结果。大多数用户报告说，COVID-19 大流行和相关的公共卫生预防措施对他们的精神健康产生了负面影响，并导致饮食失调行为增加。孤立、沮丧和焦虑的感觉很常见。许多人使用 Reddit 论坛来分享个人经历、寻求建议并提供共同责任。 结论： Reddit 讨论论坛为个人提供了一个治疗社区，可以在精神困扰加剧的时期分享经验并为患有 ED 的同龄人提供支持。未来的研究需要评估 COVID-19 大流行对饮食失调行为的影响，并评估社交媒体讨论论坛在心理健康治疗中的作用，特别是在治疗机会有限的时期。