Who's most at risk of poor body image? Identifying subgroups of adolescent social media users over the course of a year

Types and stability of appearance-related social media use patterns remain under-explored despite established links between social media use and wellbeing. This study aimed to identify subgroups of social media users, and explore whether subgroup membership was stable over time and associated with body image-related outcomes. Adolescents (N = 766; Mage = 12.76, SD = 0.73; 49.40% female) completed four surveys across 1-year, reporting several social media use indices, body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, and strategies to increase muscle. Latent profile analyses identified two subgroups (moderate and high users), that remained reasonably stable over time. The high subgroup exhibited poorer body image at baseline, though differences seemed to dissipate somewhat over 1-year. Examination of subgroup transition over time showed more rapid increases in poor body image outcomes among social media increasers and more rapid declines for reducers. Prevention programs which aim to reduce high levels of social media use among children, young adolescents, and high-risk individuals (i.e., appearance-focused users) appear warranted

Motivations for social media use: Associations with social media engagement and body satisfaction and well-being among adolescents

Adolescents are spending considerable time on social media, yet it is unclear whether motivations for social media use drive different forms of social media engagement, and their relationships with body satisfaction and well-being. This study tested a proposed model of the relationships between motivations for social media use, types of social media engagement and body satisfaction and well-being. Responses to an online survey from 1432 Australian adolescents (M = 13.45 years, SD = 1.14, range 11–17; 55.4% boys) were collected. Structural equational modelling indicates excellent model fit. Specifically, motivations for social media use (information sharing, passing time, escapism, social interaction, social capital and appearance feedback) were associated with engagement (intensity, photo-based use, active use, passive use and liking use) and revealed mixed associations with body satisfaction and well-being. The findings support the importance of considering motivations for social media use in future research. ag

Informing mHealth and Web-Based Eating Disorder Interventions: Combining Lived Experience Perspectives With Design Thinking Approaches

Background: App-based interventions designed to prevent and treat eating disorders have considerable potential to overcome known barriers to treatment seeking. Existing apps have shown efficacy in terms of symptom reduction; however, uptake and retention issues are common. To ensure that apps meet the needs and preferences of those for whom they were designed, it is critical to understand the lived experience of potential users and involve them in the process of design, development, and delivery. However, few app-based interventions are pretested on and co-designed with end users before randomized controlled trials. Objective: To address the issue, this study used a highly novel design thinking approach to provide the context and a lived experience perspective of the end user, thus allowing for a deeper level of understanding. Methods: In total, 7 young women (mean age 25.83, SD 5.34, range 21-33 years) who self-identified as having a history of body image issues or eating disorders were recruited. Participants were interviewed about their lived experience of body image and eating disorders and reported their needs and preferences for app-based eating disorder interventions. Traditional (thematic analysis) and novel (empathy mapping; visually depicting and empathizing with the user’s personal experience) analyses were performed, providing a lived experience perspective of eating disorders and identifying the needs and preferences of this population in relation to app-based interventions for eating disorders. Key challenges and opportunities for app-based eating disorder interventions were also identified. Results: Findings highlighted the importance of understanding and identifying problematic eating disorder symptoms for the user, helpful practices for recovery that identify personal values and goals, the role of social support in facilitating hope, and aspects of usability to promote continued engagement and recovery. Conclusions: Practical guidance and recommendations are described for those developing app-based eating disorder interventions. These findings have the potential to inform practices to enhance participant uptake and retention in the context of app-based interventions for this population

The mental and physical health of family mental health practitioners during COVID-19: relationships with family violence and workplace practices

Objective: COVID-19 restrictions precipitated rapid work practice changes for family and mental health practitioners, including care via telehealth and secondary exposures to COVID-19 induced violence in client. This descriptive study aimed to examine stress and health among practitioners during COVID-19 restrictions. Method: Participants, recruited via professional networks, were 320 maternal and child health (MCH), child and youth mental health (CYMH) and adult mental health (AMH) practitioners from Victoria, Australia. Participants reported family violence among cases, workplace stress, and mental and physical health problems during COVID-19 restrictions, via an online survey. Results: Rising family violence incidence, including emotional abuse and serious threats against a woman (>25%), child emotional abuse/neglect, and child exposure to family violence were reported. Higher violence was reported by CYMH and AMH than MCH practitioners. We found increases in practitioner stress due to workplace practice changes and exposure to family violence. Highest stress was among CYMH and AHM practitioners. Participants reported worsening mental (63.2%) and physical (51.2%) health. Negative affect was higher among CYMH than MCH participants. Conclusion: Findings demonstrate pressure on family and mental health workforces during COVID-19. Provision of training and support to manage secondary stress from exposures to trauma and changing workplace practices is indicated. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: (1) Family and mental health practitioners’ mental health is below normative levels due to exposure to secondary traumatic stress exposure and associated compassion fatigue. (2) Periods of natural and community disaster elevate pressure and distress among mental health professionals and contribute to risk for workforce attrition and among client families are also associated with increased risks for intimate partner violence due to financial pressures and inadequate and confined housing. (3) Concerns about family violence during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions have arisen from publicly available reports of increases in emergency department domestic violence-related injuries and urgent applications to the Family Courts, but research data pertaining to levels of family violence during COVID-19 are scarce. What this study adds: (1) Family and mental health practitioners, especially those in child/youth and adult mental health sectors, reported increased proportions of caseloads in which incidents of family violence occurred during stage-3 COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in Victoria, Australia, contributing to exposure of practitioners to secondary trauma. (2) Practitioners reported higher workplace stress (due to changed work practices and family violence) during COVID-19 restrictions and greater stress was related to greater negative affect, sleep problems, headaches, and gastrointestinal problems. (3) Urgent attention to training and support of family and mental health workers providing care to distressed families during periods of community and natural disaster is indicated

Training of lived experience workforces: a rapid review of content and outcomes.

Recently, the lived and living experience (LLE) workforce in mental health and alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sectors has expanded. Despite widespread benefit of this inclusion, some LLE practitioners have encountered personal and professional challenges in their workforce roles. An essential avenue to address these challenges is through provision of training to ensure adequate LLE role preparation, and to support integration of LLE workforces within mental health and AOD settings. We aim to understand the primary components applied in LLE training programs (i.e., content and methods), the outcomes from program participation, and to summarize observed patterns between training components and outcomes. This rapid review utilized a systematic methodology following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to synthesize existing literature on training programs for service users or carers/family in lived experience roles, in the mental health and AOD workforce. We searched CINAHL, PsycINFO, Medline, and Web of Science databases. We identified 36 relevant studies. Findings indicate short- and long-term impacts of training participation for this emerging workforce, with the most promising outcomes being increased professional knowledge and skills and improved personal psychosocial wellbeing and trauma recovery. Other positive training outcomes included high trainee satisfaction, increased application of training skills, and employment/education opportunities following training completion. Gaps and training limitations were noted in relation to the training content/delivery, trainee reservations, and personal barriers to training participation or completion. In response to program benefits and limitations investigated, we present recommendations for improving training processes for this workforce

Social media, body satisfaction and well-being among adolescents: A mediation model of appearance-ideal internalization and comparison

Despite adolescents’ prolific use of social media, relationships between social media and body satisfaction and well-being are not yet well understood, especially among boys. This study tested a sociocultural model of body image within the context of social media among adolescent boys and girls. Specifically, this study examined whether appearance-ideal internalization and social appearance comparisons mediated relationships between social media engagement (intensity and appearance-focused use) and body satisfaction and subjective well-being. Australian adolescents between 11 and 17 years (N = 1,579, Mage = 13.45 years, SD = 1.15; 55.4 % boys) completed an online survey. Structural equational modelling indicated that only higher appearance-focused social media use was directly associated with lower body satisfaction and well-being. Generally, higher appearance-ideal internalization and comparisons mediated the relationships between higher social media engagement and lower body satisfaction and well-being. Multi-group analyses indicated these relationships were equivalent across gender. Findings supported the proposed model among boys and girls and extend existing theoretical knowledge to encompass male body image and well-being. Interventions which target internalization and comparisons in the context of social media are likely to be valuable in improving body satisfaction and subjective well-being in co-educational settings

A biopsychosocial model of social media use and body image concerns, disordered eating, and muscle-building behaviors among adolescent girls and boys

Social media use is associated with body image concerns, disordered eating and body change behaviors in adolescents. This study aimed to examine these relationships within a biopsychosocial framework and test an integrated model. A sample of 681 adolescents (49% female), mean age = 12.76 years (SD = 0.74), completed a questionnaire assessing social media use, depression, self-esteem, body mass index, social media and muscular ideal internalization, appearance comparison, body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, and muscle-building behaviors. Path analysis was used to test the hypothetical model, which after modification revealed good fit to the data, although gender differences emerged. The findings suggest that biopsychosocial frameworks are useful for conceptualizing relationships between social media use and body image, eating, and muscle building outcomes

Stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs about bulimia nervosa: gender, age, education and income variability in a community sample

Objective: stigmatizing attitudes towards eating disorders negatively impacts treatment seeking. To determine the effect of interventions to reduce stigma, a measure of stigma that is simple to implement is required. This study aimed to develop a measure of stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs towards bulimia nervosa (SAB-BN) and evaluate the distribution of beliefs across gender, age, education, and income groups.\ud \ud Method: participants were 1828 community adults (890 men; 938 women) aged 18–65 sampled from the Australian Electoral Roll responded to a mailed questionnaire. Participants provided demographic information and completed the SAB-BN questionnaire.\ud \ud Results: five components of stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs were identified; advantages of BN, minimization/low seriousness, unreliability, social distance, and personal responsibility. Stigma was low except on social distance and personal responsibility sub-scales, which indicated negative attitudes toward people with bulimia. Men compared with women and lower compared with higher education and income groups held significantly higher stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs. There were few differences between age groups in stigma. Differences between demographic groups provides evidence for known-groups validity.\ud \ud Discussion: the SAB-BN questionnaire provides a potentially useful tool for evaluating stigma in relation to BN. Results provide insight into components of stigma and the demographic groups to whom interventions should be targeted