The link between non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), body image and activity on social networking sites among female adolescents with an eating disorder.

The link between engagement in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)-related activities on SNS (e.g. viewing, commenting, sharing and uploading NSSI content) with body image and NSSI behaviour remains under researched in adolescents with EDs. The main aim of the current research was to examine associations between NSSI-related activities on SNS with body image and NSSI behaviour severity among female adolescents diagnosed with an ED. A total of 52 female adolescents (mean age = 15.35 years, SD = 1.49) diagnosed with an ED completed self-report questionnaires related to NSSI behaviour, SNS usage and body image. Participants were divided into two groups: low NSSI behaviour severity (from 0 to 10 NSSI behaviours; n = 28) and high NSSI behaviour severity (more than ten NSSI behaviours; n = 24). Within the high NSSI severity group, individuals that comment and share NSSI online content significantly reported higher negative body image. A hierarchical binary logistic regression showed that the frequency of NSSI online content on SNS emerged as significant predictor of NSSI behaviour severity within last year after controlling for body image and searching for ED content on SNS. Our findings suggest that not only searching for ED content, but also being daily engaged in NSSI online activities may increase the risk of NSSI behaviour severity in female adolescents with EDs.

Parental eating disorders symptoms in different clinical diagnoses.

BACKGROUND: The influence of parents can be an important variable in the development of eating disorders (EDs). However, few studies exist which simultaneously assess parents and their children, especially in different clinical groups. METHODS: Our study examines the differences in ED symptoms as measured on the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), in parents and their children as patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), unspecified eating disorder (UED) and a control group (CG). RESULTS: The mothers in the clinical group scored higher in ineffectiveness, interoceptive awareness, maturity fears, social insecurity and impulse regulation than the mothers in the control group. The patients’ fathers scored higher on impulse regulation than those in the control group. In addition, the fathers of patients in the BN group scored higher than the fathers of patients in the UED group in body dissatisfaction. They also scored higher in impulse regulation than the fathers of patients with AN. Ineffectiveness and impulse regulation were the variables in which patients’ scores were most similar to their parents. CONCLUSIONS: These results show the presence of ED psychological variables in both parents, not just mothers. Prevention and intervention activities for eating disorders must be designed to also give an active role to the father.