Melinda Karth, Ph.D.’s Post

I’m thrilled to share that my new article about grooming within pro-eating disorder online communities is now featured on the main page of Psychology Today. https://lnkd.in/eFYrNYWu #eatingdisorders #anorexia #bulimia #sexualabuse #grooming #onlinecommunities #digitalmedia #childrenandmedia #media #children #adolescents #sexualexploitation #socialmedia #eatingdisorderrecovery #blogger #mentalhealth #onlinesafety #parenting #digitalsafety

I'm excited to share that I’ve started a new position as a research and programs assistant with Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development! In 2016, after earning a graduate degree in media studies, I “reinvented” myself as a neuroscience researcher and earned a PhD in that field. Now, I’m once again thrilled to challenge myself in new ways, while making an impact on a topic I’m passionate about! One of my primary tasks will be tracking attendee engagement for our incredible Ask the Experts webinars series, an amazing monthly series exploring current, interdisciplinary research pertaining to children’s relationships with digital media. I encourage you to check out!

📗 I’m creating an #eatingdisorders continuing education course and discovered this very interesting study exploring how pro-anorexia (pro-ana) coaches prey on individuals with eating disorders. What I learned: 🌑 Pro-ana groups, which promote and normalize eating disorder behaviors, now exist in more discrete/hidden spaces, such as the mobile messenger app, Kik, rather than more visible online spaces, such as websites 🌑 Pro-ana coaches are people, most often adult men, who inhabit these spaces looking to serve as weight loss “coaches” for individuals with/vulnerable to eating disorders, most often girls under 18 years of age 🌑 Interactions between pro-ana coaches and "clients" follow a common pattern: 1️⃣ build trust and dependency with the "client"; 2️⃣ request body check photos from the "client", including underwear, nude, and explicit images; 3️⃣ pressure the "client" to send more photos; 4️⃣ blackmail the "client"; 5️⃣ request for the "client" to meet in person 🌑 These interactions are a new form of grooming behavior involving a vulnerable population (those susceptible to eating disorders) 📜 This fascinating article is called “Pro-anorexia coaches prey on individuals with eating disorders” by Simons, E.I., Noteboom, F., & van Furth, E.F. ➡ Article available here https://lnkd.in/efAi-9JK #anorexia #bulimia #bingeeating #weightloss #proana #digitalmedia #kik #adolescenthealth #adolescentmentalhealth #grooming #childrenshealth #childrensmentalhealth #mobileapps #messengerapps #onlinesafety #eatingdisorderrecovery #eatingdisorderadvocacy #eatingdisorderawareness #mentalhealth

I’m happy to share my newly accepted manuscript for a portion of my dissertation data: https://lnkd.in/efPpKMxa 💡In this study, we used female rats to explore the impact of adolescent activity-based anorexia (ABA), a rodent model of anorexia, on different types of anxiety-like behavior in weight restored adult rats. Highlights 🔦 🐀Adolescent ABA reduces social interaction in weight restored adult female rats 🐀Adolescent ABA has no effect on marble burying in weight restored adult female rats 🐀Adolescent ABA has no effect on food approach in weight restored adult female rats 🐀Running wheel access during adolescence increases social interaction in female rats 🌟I hope this research inspires human researchers working with eating disorder populations to explore the prolonged impact of adolescent eating disorders on anxiety in adulthood #research #eatingdisorders #anorexia #anorexianervosa #eatingdisorderrecovery #eatingdisorderresearch #neuroscience #behavior #manuscript #scientificwriting #scientificresearch #psychiatry #mentalhealth

I’m excited to share my newest blog post for Psychology Today, which explores the #uncannyvalley effect in #chatbot-assisted #eatingdisorders #therapy. 🤖Uncanny valley describes the discomfort humans experience when encountering a human-like artificial agent 🤖One explanation for this discomfort could be difficulties “understanding” the “mental states” of human-like artificial agents 🤖Considering the importance of empathy in the therapeutic alliance, it is vital to consider how people with eating disorders perceive human-like chatbots in therapy ☀️This was a challenging topic to write, but I hope it encourages more researchers to explore patient perceptions of chatbots in eating disorders therapy! https://lnkd.in/ertszNE5 #eatingdisorderawareness #eatingdisordertreatment #eatingdisorderrecovery #therapy #ai #artificialintelligence #artificialintelligenceinhealthcare #robot #treatment #clinician #therapist #therapeuticsupport #blogpost #blog #healthcareeducation

My latest post for Psychology Today explores how #anorexianervosa (AN) affects #eyehealth. 🔴 Malnutrition in AN contributes to changes in eye structure and aesthetics 🔵 Manutrition in AN can impair visual processing for some individuals 🟢 Eye exams should be included in AN treatment 🔸My blog serves as an educational source for the biological aspects of #eatingdisorders, including new research & “silent” topics #eatingdisorderrecovery #eatingdisorderawareness #eatingdisordertreatment #medicine #opthalmology #optometrist #eyedoctor #dryeye #malnutrition #nutrients #vitamins #vision #healthcareprofessionals https://lnkd.in/eVCxrZeA

My recent article for Psychology Today explores superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMAS) in #anorexianervosa. 🔵 Superior mesenteric artery syndrome is a condition where the small intestine becomes narrowed. 🔵 Superior mesenteric artery syndrome is caused by severe weight loss and is a complication of anorexia. 🔵 Superior mesenteric artery syndrome makes recovery from anorexia especially difficult. ❗ It is important to educate medical professionals about how SMAS interferes with anorexia recovery (i.e., continued weight loss) to protect patients with anorexia from being labeled as "unresponsive to treatment" or "unwilling to recover". People with anorexia could have underlying medical conditions (e.g., SMAS) that make anorexia recovery especially challenging. https://lnkd.in/esRDvUeP #anorexia #eatingdisorders #eatingdisorderawareness #eatingdisorderrecovery #weightloss #medicaleducation #meded #doctors #healthcareprofessionals #eatingdisordertreatment