Granger-Ryan, Sheridan J. (2022) Is the Covid-19 Pandemic Impacting the Mental Health of People with Pre-Existing Eating Disorders in 2022? A Thematic Analysis of Reddit Discussion Posts. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of people across the world. Among the most vulnerable have been people with pre-existing eating disorders, who have experienced significantly worsened mental health while working to cope with pandemic-related changes and triggers. However, understanding of the pandemic’s ongoing impact on the mental health of this population is limited, and the use of social media for mental health support during the pandemic highlights the value of exploring this impact using such sites. The study used posts from the social media platform Reddit to explore the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on people with pre-existing EDs in early to mid-2022. Using a rigorous method of data collection, 235 posts from the recovery-focused subreddit r/EatingDisorders were included in the study, and after inductive thematic analysis, three themes and five subthemes were identified. Although the pandemic was not a forefront issue, some mental health experiences were still impacted by it, and future studies should investigate why these findings have emerged. The study has multiple implications for researchers and practitioners to better understand and help people with pre-existing eating disorders.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Current – Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Wellbeing (1 Jan 2022 -) |
| Supervisors: | Carol du Plessis |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 28 May 2025 02:03 |
| Last Modified: | 28 May 2025 02:03 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Covid-19 pandemic; pre-existing eating disorders; Reddit; thematic analysis |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52357 |
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