engleski

Perceived Family Cohesion, Adaptability and Communication in Eating Disorders

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in perceived family cohesion, flexibility and communication in patients with eating disorder and their mothers. Method: Seventy-six patients with eating disorders, fifty matched female controls and seventy-nine female medical students completed Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES II)and Parent-Adolescent Communication Form. Mothers of twenty-nine patients with eating disorders and mothers of matched control subjects completed the same questionnaires. Results: Eating disorder patients perceived their families as less cohesive and less flexible and communication with their mothers as less open and more troubled. Perception of family characteristics differed by subtype of anorexia nervosa. Mothers of eating disorder patients tend to perceive their families as less cohesive and less flexible than mothers in the control group. Mothers in both groups perceived thair families more favourably than their daughters. Conclusions:The results suggest that restrictive anorectic patients perception of families as no different from those in the control group may be due to conflict avoidance and denial. The results confirm significant differences between the subtypes of anorexia nervosa and similarities between bulimic form of anorexia nervosa and bulimia. The daughters regardless od psychological status are more critical of their families than mothers, probably due to their age, fragility, frustrated expectations or separation issues.

eating disorders; family cohesion; adaptability; communication

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