Alexithymia in parents of daughters with eating disorders

Espina, Alberto

doi:10.1016/s0022-3999(03)00016-3

Cited by 42 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The review identified that they experienced problems with emotional awareness, emotional expression, and experiencing emotions as overwhelming. These findings are in line with the SPAARS-ED (Fox & Power, 2009;Power & Dalgleish, 2008), which suggests that an individual's emotional reactions are a result of their past experiences in terms of their family environment, attachment patterns, and experiences of abuse (Bruch, 1973;Corstorphine, 2006;Espina, 2003;Kent & Waller, 2000;Kyriacou, Treasure, & Schmit, 2008;Smolak & Levine, 2007;Ward et al, 2001;Ward, Ramsay, & Treasure, 2000). They are also in line with the INTEGRATE-AN model (Hatch et al, 2010) in that the model suggests that negative life experiences along with emotional sensitivity results in a feeling of loss of control and that ED symptoms are used to regulate these negative emotions.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

“…These findings are in line with the SPAARS-ED (Fox & Power, 2009;Power & Dalgleish, 2008), which suggests that an individual's emotional reactions are a result of their past experiences in terms of their family environment, attachment patterns, and experiences of abuse (Bruch, 1973;Corstorphine, 2006;Espina, 2003;Kent & Waller, 2000;Kyriacou, Treasure, & Schmit, 2008;Smolak & Levine, 2007;Ward et al, 2001;Ward, Ramsay, & Treasure, 2000). These findings are in line with the SPAARS-ED (Fox & Power, 2009;Power & Dalgleish, 2008), which suggests that an individual's emotional reactions are a result of their past experiences in terms of their family environment, attachment patterns, and experiences of abuse (Bruch, 1973;Corstorphine, 2006;Espina, 2003;Kent & Waller, 2000;Kyriacou, Treasure, & Schmit, 2008;Smolak & Levine, 2007;Ward et al, 2001;Ward, Ramsay, & Treasure, 2000).…”

Section: The Emotional Self Within a Social Contextsupporting

confidence: 70%

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Emotional development in eating disorders: A qualitative metasynthesis

Henderson

Fox

Trayner

et al. 2019

Clin Psychology and Psychoth

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Emotions are considered to be an important feature in eating disorders. The present study aimed to conduct a systematic review and metasynthesis of qualitative studies, which considered the role of emotions in eating disorders in order to gain further insight on how these individuals experience various emotions and the strategies they use to manage them. Databases including Web of Science, PsychInfo, EMBASE, Medline, and the Cochrane library were searched for qualitative studies. The search identified 16 relevant studies. Meta‐ethnography was used to synthesize the data, which involved identifying the key findings and concepts of the studies and creating metaphors. The synthesis involved reciprocal translations and lines of argument approaches being applied to the present data. Results of the synthesis identified four second‐order themes and one third‐order theme relating to the emotional experiences of such individuals. The second‐order themes were (a) negative emotional environments, (b) interpersonal vulnerability, (c) the experience of negative emotions in social contexts, and (d) the management of emotions. The third‐order theme was the emotional self within a social environment. This is the first metasynthesis on emotions and eating disorders, and our synthesis highlights the important role that emotions play in the development and maintenance of eating disorders. Our model demonstrates how poor emotional development whilst growing up results in development of poor socioemotional bonds and the inability to handle negative emotions. The most significant finding of the review is that individuals use their eating disorder to manage negative emotions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

Section: The Emotional Self Within a Social Contextsupporting

confidence: 70%

Emotional development in eating disorders: A qualitative metasynthesis

Henderson

Fox

Trayner

et al. 2019

Clin Psychology and Psychoth

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“…Otherwise, parents may be so anxious and under such stress that they are unable to answer the questionnaire appropriately, despite their willingness to do so. 5 Some studies have reported high levels of emotional distress, negative affectivity, depression, and anxiety in the parents of anorexic patients, probably linked to the high levels of alexithymia revealed by self-reports. 4 , 5 , 9 We can therefore assume that the interview administered by trained clinicians might be more sensitive to the actual level of alexithymia, as it excludes or attenuates the confounding factors generated by parents’ negative affective state, defense mechanisms, varying levels of awareness, and capabilities to reflect on feelings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 2 Despite the significance of this link, literature has focused greatly on individual alexithymia, producing only scarce and conflicting studies on alexithymia in families of anorexic patients. 3 – 5 Evidence, however, is now highlighting the importance of family dynamics in the development of the anorexic disorder, 6 – 8 especially in younger patients. 1 , 9 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Dahlman’s 3 first study, the mothers of anorexic patients resulted more alexithymic than controls, but this has not always been confirmed in subsequent studies. 4 Furthermore, even in studies reporting higher levels of alexithymia in parents of an anorexic daughter, 5 this alexithymic state seems mostly linked to considerable emotional distress, often linked to traumatic experiences. 4 , 5 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Alexithymia in parents and adolescent anorexic daughters: comparing the responses to TSIA and TAS-20 scales

Balottin¹,

Nacinovich²,

Bomba³

et al. 2014

NDT

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BackgroundA growing body of literature has been focusing on individual alexithymia in anorexia nervosa, while there are only scarce and conflicting studies on alexithymia in the families of anorexic patients, despite the important role played by family dynamics in the development of the anorexic disorder, especially in adolescent patients. The aim of this study is to assess alexithymia in anorexic adolescent patients and in their parents using a multimethod measurement to gain more direct, in-depth knowledge of the problem.MethodsForty-six subjects, anorexic adolescent patients and their parents, underwent the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) along with the Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia (TSIA), which represents the first comprehensive clinically structured interview focused specifically on assessing alexithymia. The use of latent trait Rasch analysis allowed a comparison of the two instruments’ sensitivity and ability to detect the presence and intensity of alexithymic components in patients and parents.ResultsSignificant discordance was found between the two measures. The clinical instrument allowed detection of a greater level of alexithymia compared with the self-report, in particular in our adult parent sample. Moreover, a significant alexithymic gap emerged within families, particularly within parental couples, with noticeably more alexithymic fathers compared with the mothers.ConclusionThe TSIA clinical interview may be a more sensitive instrument in detecting alexithymia, minimizing parents’ negation tendency. Clinical questions have arisen on how useful it would be to give greater weight to family functioning (ie, alexithymic gap) in order to predict the possibility of establishing a therapeutic alliance, and thus the outcome of the anorexic adolescent.

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Eating disorders and multi‐level models of emotion: An integrated model

Fox

Power

2009

Clin Psychology and Psychoth

126

149

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This paper examines the relationship between emotions, depression and eating disorders. Initially, a review is undertaken of the current state of the research and clinical literature with regard to emotional factors in eating disorders. This literature is then integrated within a version of the multi-level model of emotion proposed by Power and Dalgleish. The aim of this paper is to incorporate a basic emotions, multi-modal perspective into developing a new emotions-based model that offers a theoretical understanding of psychological mechanisms in eating disorders. Within the new Schematic Propositional Analogical Associative Representation System model applied to eating disorders, it is argued that the emotions of anger and disgust are of importance in eating disorders and that the eating disorder itself operates as an inhibitor of emotions within the self. It is hoped that the development of a multi-levelled model of eating disorders will allow for the construction of number of specific testable hypotheses that are relevant to future research into the psychological treatment and understanding of eating disorders.

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Alexithymia in parents of daughters with eating disorders

Cited by 42 publications

References 39 publications

Emotional development in eating disorders: A qualitative metasynthesis

Emotional development in eating disorders: A qualitative metasynthesis

Alexithymia in parents and adolescent anorexic daughters: comparing the responses to TSIA and TAS-20 scales

Eating disorders and multi‐level models of emotion: An integrated model

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