Exploring the Psychological Factors of Eating Disorders in Young Women

The number of people suffering from eating disorders is increasing in modern society, both online and in real life. And most of them are female. The purpose of this study was to explore the causes of eating disorders in the female population, focusing on analyzing the psychological, family, and social factors that influence eating disorders in women. This study collects data from various case studies or cohort studies of people with eating disorders. The data were then analysed by classifying them into different treatment protocols. Women are more likely to be influenced by the external environment, including the living environment and social media. Moreover, women are more likely to be traumatised by childhood family conflicts than men, and childhood trauma can be any childhood injury to the individual, but most of it comes from family neglect, scolding and comparison. Eating disorders are treated with three types of psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy, positive thinking therapy and medication. Although medication can help alleviate accompanying psychiatric symptoms, its effectiveness in treating eating disorders remains limited. Future research should focus on developing new treatments, especially in dealing with early trauma and cognitive biases.