This is just how I cope: An inductive thematic analysis of eating disorder recovery content created and shared on TikTok using #EDrecovery

Objective To explore eating disorder (ED) recovery-related content created and shared on the social media platform TikTok. Method A systematic review and inductive thematic analysis of 150 TikTok posts catalogued under hashtag (#) EDrecovery. Two coders independently analyzed the posts and a critical peer facilitated discussions about the resulting codes and themes. Results Creators on TikTok used #EDrecovery to share their personal experiences with recovery through the use and cooption of popular (or viral) video formats, succinct storytelling, and the production of educational content. Five themes were interpreted across the data: (a) ED awareness, (b) inpatient story time: ED unit tings, (c) eating in recovery, (d) transformations: how about a weight gain glow up?, and (e) trendy gallows humor: let's confuse people who have a good relationship with food. Discussion TikTok as a user-friendly, creative media may provide the artistic and social tools for some creators to add their distinct voice to the ED recovery narrative and foster some semblance of community. Although all of the analyzed content was catalogued under #EDrecovery, some of the posts reified the increasingly blurred boundary that exists between ED recovery and pro-ED content on TikTok.

Automated summary

The study analyzed 150 TikTok posts under the hashtag #EDrecovery to explore the content related to eating disorder recovery. Five themes were identified, including ED awareness, inpatient stories, eating in recovery, transformations, and gallows humor. The content on TikTok reflected a blend of recovery narratives and pro-ED content, highlighting the blurred boundary between them.