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Understanding how parents cope with living with someone with anorexia nervosa: Modelling the factors that are associated with carer distress
Author(s) -
Kyriacou Olivia,
Treasure Janet,
Schmidt Ulrike
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/eat.20488
Subject(s) - distress , anorexia nervosa , psychology , anxiety , clinical psychology , depression (economics) , psychological intervention , quality of life (healthcare) , psychiatry , social support , eating disorders , psychotherapist , economics , macroeconomics
Objective: Caring for a person with anorexia nervosa (AN) has been associated with psychological distress and poor life quality of carers. Addressing carers' needs may impact on prognostic outcome. The aim was to explore and model factors associated with distress in parents of people with AN ( N = 151). Method: A cross‐sectional design was used to assess caregiving strains (Pearlin Stress Scales) and psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Results: Over 70% of carers ( N = 107) scored at or above the suggestive threshold (score ≥ 8) for anxiety, and 38% ( N = 54) for depression. Over 50% of carers ( N = 78) scored at or above the clinical threshold (score ≥ 11) for anxiety, and 13% ( N = 20) for depression. A model of carer distress after multiple regression analyses showed three significant associated variables. In order of significance, self‐related strains, carer sex, and interpersonal strains accounted for 41% of the variance, ( F (3, 112) = 29.85, p < .001). Conclusion: Interventions aimed at improving outcome in AN may need to focus on reducing caregiving strains and carers' distress, particularly of mothers. © 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2008