Body, media and eating behavior: psychological listening groups with adolescent girls in a school context

Abstract

The increasing number of eating disorders among adolescents, especially girls, represents a public health problem due to its association with mental health issues and increased mortality. In this sense, the present investigation aims to develop a proposal for psychological listening groups focusing on the expression of experiences regarding body image, eating behavior, and media influence among adolescent girls in a school context. To this end, an action research study was conducted with 16 middle school students from a public school in Fortaleza-CE, between October and November 2024. Data were collected through field diaries and analyzed using a phenomenological approach, seeking to understand the lived experience of the participants. The participants' narratives revealed body dissatisfaction, influenced by media beauty standards and the judgment of family and peers, as well as eating behaviors mediated by the use of social networks and contact with digital images. It is concluded that the implementation of psychological support groups in a school context proved to be a positive strategy for promoting emotional well-being and critical reflection on body standards and eating habits, offering adolescent girls a safe space for listening, visibility, and the construction of meaning about their experiences.