"It's the Symptom of the Problem, Not the Problem itself": A Qualitative Exploration of the Role of Pro-anorexia...

The growing trend in the use of the Internet and social media as a method of self-managing illness presents a critical opportunity to better understand the role of pro-anorexia (pro-ana) websites for eating disorders. Therefore, 155 pro-ana website messages regarding criticism that the site was responsible for developing anorexia were inductively thematically analysed. The analysis revealed five main themes: eating disorders are mental illnesses and websites do not cause mental illness, pro-ana websites and eating disorders are more than wanting to be thin (with sub-theme residents and visitors), eating disorders develop regardless of pro-ana websites, pro-ana sites do not cause eating disorders but they may trigger or encourage them (with sub-theme the problem is the user, not the site) and pro-ana sites provide support. Pro-ana websites and online communities present clinicians with complex treatment challenges. Collaborative, therapeutic consultations about pro-ana website use may help to establish how and when accessing them may hinder the treatment process.