The Importance of Considering Personal Recovery for Eating Disorders

OBJECTIVE: Definitions of recovery from eating disorders (EDs) have traditionally emphasised symptom reduction and functional restoration. However, growing research highlights the importance of integrating personal recovery, defined by self-acceptance, autonomy, and psychological wellbeing. This study explored the relationship between partial clinical remission and personal recovery in individuals with lived experience of an ED. METHOD: = 28.10; 89.3% female; 49.6% non-heterosexual) were recruited online and completed measures assessing ED symptom severity, quality of life, and personal recovery. Criteria for partial clinical remission were based on established cut-offs for measures of ED symptomology. Personal recovery was defined by self-endorsement of a validated recovery framework. RESULTS: Chi-square tests revealed that rates of personal recovery (52.1%) were significantly higher than rates of partial clinical remission (22.6%). While clinical remission increased the likelihood of personal recovery (OR = 6.46), many participants endorsed personal recovery despite not meeting clinical criteria. No significant differences in personal recovery were found between ED types or between heterosexual and non-heterosexual participants as an exploratory analysis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the importance of incorporating personal recovery constructs into ED assessment, treatment, and outcome monitoring.