Opinion: The next DSM should address the algorithm’s role in eating disorders — SkimNews
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- Jessica Scheer leads the National Eating Disorders Association and co-authors an opinion urging the DSM-6 to include assessment of digital environments in eating disorder evaluations by 2030.
- Riley Nickols contributes as a sports psychologist and clinical adviser to the National Eating Disorders Association, supporting the integration of algorithmic exposure into diagnostic context.
- National Eating Disorders Association conducted a May survey of nearly 2,700 people showing 82% reported social media triggered eating disorder thoughts or behaviors.
- DSM-5-TR includes environmental, cultural, and social factors in descriptive text but does not prompt clinicians to assess digital or algorithmic exposure during eating disorder evaluations.
- Social media algorithms increasingly shape users' experiences with body image, food, and exercise content, creating reinforcement loops that may exacerbate eating disorder psychopathology.
Why it matters: The DSM-6 has a four-year window to formally integrate digital environment assessments into clinical practice, which could shift how millions of patients are evaluated. Without this update, clinicians may overlook a pervasive trigger that 82% of surveyed individuals with eating disorders already link to symptom onset or relapse.
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