Effectiveness of parent counselling in eating disorders

Abstract

Eating Disorders (ED) are often severe illnesses entailing a heavy burden for families. Family therapy is recommended for young patients, but only a few studies have investigated therapeutic interventions with families tailored also to adult and longstanding patients. We recruited 87 families with daughters affected by an ED, aiming to assess the effectiveness of eight sessions of parent counselling. The primary outcome was the improvement of parents' coping abilities to achieve more effective support skills. Before treatment, 54% of parents showed poor coping resources whereas 43.7% of the sample improved after parent counselling. Parents with good coping resources responded significantly better to this treatment. Although future research is warranted, these preliminary findings support the effectiveness of parent counselling in ED.

Comparing carer wellbeing: implications for eating disorders

“…There is also preliminary evidence that longstanding carers of people with ED (i.e. carers of SEED) could benefit from individual counselling (Abbate- Daga et al, 2013). Further research on carers of people with SEED is warranted.…”

Family Therapy and Eating Disorders

“…The purpose for parent counselling is to inform, educate and provide emotional support to the patient and the family. The study by Abbate-Daga et. al., (2013) looked at a three-step intervention whereby two weeks prior to treatment, parents participated in a preliminary informative group, then parents were clinically assessed, followed by the parents attending counselling for eight 60-minute sessions.…”

“…Carers of family members who have an eating disorder are uncertain about how to help, expressing their burden and need for information. Studies have shown that carers of those with Family Therapy in the Treatment of Eating Disorders eating disorders are clinically anxious and/or depressed (Abbate-Daga et al, 2013;Treasure, Whitaker, Todd, & Whitney, 2012). Therefore, the carer's own symptomatology and uncertainty about helping can exacerbate the symptoms and behavior of the individual with the eating disorder.…”

“…Therefore, the carer's own symptomatology and uncertainty about helping can exacerbate the symptoms and behavior of the individual with the eating disorder. Some carers show adaptive responses by focusing on their own interest or perhaps show maladaptive coping by blaming themselves for contributing to the illness and then perceiving themselves as helpless (Abbate-Daga et. al., 2013).…”

“…Eating disorders have remained among the most damaging psychiatric illnesses having multifactorial unknown pathogenesis that continue to challenge patients, families, clinicians and researchers alike (Abbate-Daga et. al., 2013;Murray & Le Grange, 2014;Steinhaussen, 2002).…”