| Summary: | This study compared female intercollegiate athletes’ and non-athletes’ experiences of working towards recovery from an eating disorder. Participants (55 athletes, 99 non-athletes) responded to open-ended questions about factors that influenced their progress towards recovery. Both subgroups reported that Supportive Relationships and Cognitive/Emotional Shifts were most helpful. The third most frequent helpful factor for athletes was Sport Performance Concerns, for non-athletes it was Treatment. Athletes’ most frequent hindering factors were Negative Emotions/Cognitions, Sport Pressures, and Hurtful Modelling, while non-athletes reported Negative Emotions/Cognitions, Lack of Support, and Hurtful Modelling. Sport-specific factors were among the most common themes in athletes’ responses; therefore, athletes’ recovery experiences and treatment needs appear unique.
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