Disempowerment traps and resilience communication: Narratives of college students with eating disorders

Research has shown a dramatic increase of eating disorders among young people during the COVID-19 epidemic. Understanding how various forms of communication (re)shaped college-aged students' eating behaviors during the pandemic may provide an improved practical understanding of how to cultivate a healthier social support system for college students with eating disorders both during and after major disruptive events, such as a pandemic. The current study seeks to achieve an in-depth understanding of how college students with eating disorders make sense of their lived experiences and (re)construct resilience as they navigate challenging times with their family members during the COVID-19 pandemic. 13 qualitative interviews are conducted to explore and describe the lived experience of college students with eating disorders. The themes and codes derived from our analysis will provide insights into the “disempowerment traps” that perpetuate college students’ disordered eating behaviors at individual, family, community, and system levels, as well as the role of communication in (re)constructing their resilience when navigating challenging times. Study results will generate helpful knowledge to mitigate eating disorders among college students, and provide them a healthier mental health environment even after the COVID-19 pandemic.