A clinical profile of participants in an online support group.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the clinical characteristics of users of an online support group for people with eating disorders (EDs).

METHOD: One hundred and thirty-eight support group participants were recruited online and completed measures that were specifically adapted for internet administration. These included two subscales of the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2); the 26-item version of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26); the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE).

RESULTS

Participants scored significantly higher than published normative data on all measures. In addition, while the group scored in line with traditional clinical samples, some self-reported diagnostic groups scored significantly higher on all of the factors.

DISCUSSION: Participants demonstrated a clinical profile, in terms of reported distress, comparable to, and on some measures in excess of, samples diagnosed with an ED. Online support groups may be ideally placed to offer support and information to some people with EDs.