Loving her into well-being one day at a time: Narratives of caring for daughters with eating disorders
Author(s)
Kathryn Weaver*
ABSTRACT
When a child is diagnosed with an eating disorder, parents are expected to help the child recover. Yet, parents often feel under-prepared and alone, their experiences inadequately known to healthcare professionals. The research aim was to examine the meaning to parents of caring for a child with an eating disorder. Qualitative interviews with 29 parents were analyzed and the parents’ experiences were represented by a collective story of loving her into well-being one day at a time which consisted of two themes: Running on nerves and caring through transformational activism. Running on nerves included threads of feeling lost, traumatized, scarred, and disengaged that mitigated as parents engaged in transformational activism processes directed toward helping themselves, their child, and other parents and children. The findings illustrate the importance of hearing parents’ stories in order to create supportive healing environments and to build capacity within families and health care systems.
When a child is diagnosed with an eating disorder, parents are expected to help the child recover. Yet, parents often feel under-prepared and alone, their experiences inadequately known to healthcare professionals. The research aim was to examine the meaning to parents of caring for a child with an eating disorder. Qualitative interviews with 29 parents were analyzed and the parents’ experiences were represented by a collective story of loving her into well-being one day at a time which consisted of two themes: Running on nerves and caring through transformational activism. Running on nerves included threads of feeling lost, traumatized, scarred, and disengaged that mitigated as parents engaged in transformational activism processes directed toward helping themselves, their child, and other parents and children. The findings illustrate the importance of hearing parents’ stories in order to create supportive healing environments and to build capacity within families and health care systems.
Cite this paper
Weaver, K. (2012) Loving her into well-being one day at a time: Narratives of caring for daughters with eating disorders. Open Journal of Nursing, 2, 406-419. doi: 10.4236/ojn.2012.24059.
Weaver, K. (2012) Loving her into well-being one day at a time: Narratives of caring for daughters with eating disorders. Open Journal of Nursing, 2, 406-419. doi: 10.4236/ojn.2012.24059.
References
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[1] Jones, J.M., Bennett, S., Olmsted, M.P., Lawson, M.L. and Rodin, G. (2002) Disordered eating attitudes and behaviours in teenaged girls: A school-based study. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 165, 547-552. [2] Leichner, P. (2002) Disordered eating attitudes among Canadian teenagers. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 166, 707. [3] Fichter, M.M., Quadflieg, N. and Hedlung, S. (2006) Twelve years course and outcome predictors of anorexia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 39, 87-100. doi:10.1002/eat.20215 [4] Jonat, L.M. and Birmingham, C.L. (2004) Disordered eating attitudes and behaviours in the high-school students of a rural Canadian community. Eating and Weight Disorders, 9, 285-289. [5] Becker, A.E., Eddy, K.T. and Perloe, A. (2009) Clarifying criteria for cognitive signs and symptoms for eating disorders in DSM-V. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 42, 611-619. doi:10.1002/eat.20723 [6] Public Health Agency of Canada (2011) The chief public health officer’s report on the state of public health in Canada, 2011. Chapter 3: The Health and well-being of Canadian youth and young adults. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/cphorsphc-respcacsp/2011/pdf/cpho-resp-2011-eng.pdf [7] Lask, B. (2000) Overview of management. In: Lask, B. and Bryant-Waugh, R., Eds., Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence, 2nd Edition, Psychology Press, Hove, 167-185. [8] Lock, J. and Le Grange, D. (2001) Can family-base treatment of anorexia nervosa be manualized? Journal of Psychotherapy Practical Research, 10, 253-261. [9] Beale, B., McMaster, R. and Hillege, S. (2005) Eating disorders: A qualitative analysis of parent’s journey. Contemporary Nurse, 18, 124-132. doi:10.5172/conu.18.1-2.124 [10] Hillege, S., Beale, B. and McMaster, R. (2006) Impact of eating disorders on family life: Individual parent’s stories. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 14, 1016-1022. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2006.01367.x [11] McMaster, R., Beale, B., Hillege, S. and Nagy, S. (2004) The parent experience of eating disorders: Interactions with health professionals. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 13, 67-73. doi:10.1111/j.1447-0349.2004.00310.x [12] Cook-Darrzens, S., Doyen, C., Falissard, B. and Mouren, M.-C. (2005) Self-perceived family functioning in 40 French families of anorexic adolescents: Implications for therapy. European Eating Disorders Review, 13, 223-236. doi:10.1002/erv.628 [13] Cottee-Lane, D., Pistang, N. and Bryant-Waugh, R. (2004) Childhood onset anorexia nervosa: The experience of parents. European Eating Disorders Review, 12, 169-177. doi:10.1002/erv.560 [14] Dellasega, C. (2005) The starving family: Caregiving mothers and fathers share their eating disorder wisdom. Champion Press, Fredonia. [15] Gilbert, A.A., Shaw, S.M. and Notar, M.K. (2000) The impact of eating disorders on family relationships. Eating Disorders, 8, 331-345. doi:10.1080/10640260008251240 [16] Graap, H., Bleich, S., Herbst, F., Trostmann, Y., Wancata, J. and de Zwaan, M. (2008) The needs of carers of patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. European Eating Disorders Review, 16, 21-29. doi:10.1002/erv.804 [17] Honey, A. and Halse, C. (2006) The specifics of coping: Parents of daughters with anorexia nervosa. Qualitative Health Research, 16, 611-629. doi:10.1177/1049732305285511 [18] Kyriacou, O., Treasure, J. and Schmidt, U. (2008) Understanding how parents cope with living with someone with anorexia nervosa: Modeling the factors that are associated with carer distress. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 41, 233-242. doi:10.1002/eat.20488 [19] Santonastaso, P., Saccon D. and Favaro, A. (1997) Burden and psychiatric symptoms on key relatives of patients with eating disorders: A preliminary study. Eating and Weight Disorders, 2, 44-48. [20] Sharkey-Orgnero, M. (1999) Anorexia nervosa: A qualitative analysis of parents’ perspectives on recovery. Eating Disorders, 7, 123-141. doi:10.1080/10640269908251191 [21] Tan, J., Hope, T., Stewart, A. and Fitzpatrick, R. (2003) Control and compulsory treatment in anorexia nervosa: The views of patients and parents. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 26, 627-645. doi:10.1016/j.ijlp.2003.09.009 [22] Tierney, S. (2005) The treatment of adolescent anorexia nervosa: A qualitative study of the views of parents. Eating Disorders, 13, 369-379. doi:10.1080/10640260591005254 [23] Treasure, J., Murphy, T., Szmukler, G., Todd, G., Gavan, K. and Joyce, J. (2001) The experience of care giving for severe mental illness: A comparison between anorexia nervosa and psychosis. Social Psychiatry Psychiatric Epidemiology, 36, 343-347. doi:10.1007/s001270170039 [24] Whitney, J., Murray, J., Gavan, K., Todd, G., Whitaker, W. and Treasure, J. (2005) Experience of caring for someone with anorexia nervosa: Qualitative study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 187, 444-449. doi:10.1192/bjp.187.5.444 [25] Winn, S., Perkins, S., Murray, J., Murphy, R. and Schmidt, U. (2004) A qualitative study of the experience of caring for a person with bulimia nervosa. Part 2: Carers’ needs and experiences of services and other support. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 36, 269-279. doi:10.1002/eat.20068 [26] Witton, N., Leichner, P., Sandhu-Sahota, P. and Filippelli, D. (2007) The research directions survey: Patient and parent perspectives of eating disorder research. Eating Disorders, 15, 205-216. doi:10.1080/10640260701323466 [27] Dancyger, I., Fornari, V., Scionti, L., Wisotsky, W. and Sunday, S. (2005). Do daughters with eating disorders agree with their parents’ perception of family functioning? Comprehensive Psychiatry, 46, 135-139. doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2004.07.024 [28] Minuchin, S., Rosman, B.L. and Baker, L. (1978) Psychosomatic families: Anorexia nervosa in context. Harvard University Press, Cambridge. [29] Selvini-Palazzoli, M. (1978) Self-starvation: From individual to family therapy in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. Jason Aronson, New York. [30] Allen, S.T. (2000) Attachment status, affect regulation, and behavioral control in young adults. Ph.D. Thesis. University of Connecticut, Storrs. http://digitalcommons.uconn.edu/dissertations/ [31] Evans, L. and Wertheim, E. (2005) Attachment styles in adult intimate relationships: Comparing women with bulimia nervosa symptoms, women with depression and women with no clinical symptoms. European Eating Disorders Review, 13, 285-293. doi:10.1002/erv.621 [32] Meyer, C. and Gillings, K. (2004) Parental bonding and bulimic psychopathology: The mediating role of mistrust/abuse beliefs. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 35, 229-233. doi:10.1002/eat.10236 [33] Tereno, S., Soares, I., Martins, C., Celani, M. and Sampaio, D. (2008) Attachment styles, memories of parental rearing and therapeutic bond: A study with eating disordered patients, their parents and therapists. European Eating Disorders Review, 16, 49-58. doi:10.1002/erv.801 [34] Benninghoven, D., Tetch, N., Kunzendorf, S. and Jantschek, G. (2007) Body image in patients with eating disorders and their mothers, and the role of family functioning. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 48, 118-123. doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2006.08.003 [35] Bruning Brown, J., Winzelberg, J., Abascal, L. and Barr Taylor, C. (2004) An evaluation of an internet-delivered eating disorder prevention program for adolescents and their parents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 35, 290-296. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2003.10.010 [36] Russell-Mayhew, S. and Arthur, N. (2007) Targeting students, teachers and parents in a wellness-based prevention program in schools. Eating Disorders, 15, 159-181. doi:10.1080/10640260701190709 [37] Whitney, J., Currin, L., Murray, J. and Treasure, J. (2012) Family work in anorexia nervosa: A qualitative study of carers’ experiences of two methods of family intervention. European Eating Disorder Review, 20, 132-141 doi:10.1002/erv.1077 [38] Chase, S.E. (2000) Narrative inquiry: Multiple lenses, approaches, voices. In: Denzin, N.K. and Lincoln, Y.S., Eds., Handbook of Qualitative Research, 2nd Edition, Sage, Thousand Oaks, 651-679. [39] Kelly, T. and Howie, L. (2007) Working with stories in nursing research: Procedures used in narrative analysis. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 16, 136-144. doi:10.1111/j.1447-0349.2007.00457.x [40] Polkinghorne, D. 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