The family and anorexia nervosa: examining parent–child boundary problems†

Abstract

Objective: To examine parent±child boundary dissolution in anorexia nervosa using a measure that treats boundary phenomena as multidimensional and distinct from highly cohesive relationships. Method: 30 women with anorexia were recruited from an eating disorders programme and compared with 65 control women on reports of intergenerational boundary problems using the Parent-Child Boundaries Scale. This measure conceptualizes boundaries as multidimensional and can address both mother±daughter and father±daughter relations. Family cohesion was also measured using the FACES III. A subset of parents completed these measures. Results: Women with anorexia reported more boundary problems with mothers and fathers than did control women, both in terms of global and some speci®c violations. However, parents of anorexic women did not endorse more boundary problems with their daughters. Discussion: Daughters' views suggest that boundary violations are problematic in anorexia. Results suggest that boundary problems can be treated as multidimensional and should be viewed as distinct from high levels of familial cohesion. These results also suggest that it is important to ascertain individual family members' viewpoints on family dynamics.

How adolescents with anorexia nervosa and their parents perceive family functioning?

“…These results confirmed earlier findings showing a unified view between daughters and fathers (Dancyger et al, 2005) and between mothers and fathers (Ma, 2011). Moreover, this study results were in accordance with earlier studies that found differences in mothers' and daughters' perception of family functioning (Ciao et al, 2015;Cook-Darzens et al, 2005;Dancyger et al, 2005;Rowa et al, 2001;Vidovic et al, 2005), as well as with Casper and Troiani (2001), who found that girls with restrictive type of AN tended to have a more positive view of family functioning than their mothers. These findings support the theory that judgment of patients with AN could be influenced by the tendency to idealize their families, avoid conflict, and deny potential problems with family members.…”

Marital conflict and support seeking by parents in adolescence: Empirical support for the parentification construct.

“…Implicit in most conceptualizations of parentification is the idea that mothers may be more likely than fathers to seek emotional support from their children (Jurkovic, 1997). However, the present investigation is one of only a handful of studies to obtain parentification data on both mothers and fathers (Jacobvitz et al, 2004; Kerig, 2005; Rowa, Kerig, & Geller, 2001). Consistent with earlier findings, youths in this study perceived higher levels of emotional support seeking from their mothers versus fathers, and girls were more likely than boys to report parentification from their mothers (Jacobvitz et al, 2004; Macfie et al, 2005).…”

Place de la nourriture dans les relations familiales d'adolescents présentant une anorexie mentale : étude qualitative par la photographie

“…MINUCHIN 1978, SELVINI, 2002, ROVA 2001, LAPORTE 2001, DELANNES 2006 (COLLIER 1986, ROSE 2001, POWER 2003, HARPER 2002. Elle consiste à utiliser la photographie comme support aux entretiens, les patients rapportent leurs propres expériences.…”