Premium
Eating psychopathology in young non‐clinical adults: a pilot study of the impact of parental personality
Author(s) -
Brunton Joan N.,
Lacey J. Hubert,
Waller Glenn
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
european eating disorders review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.511
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1099-0968
pISSN - 1072-4133
DOI - 10.1002/erv.625
Subject(s) - narcissism , eating disorders , psychology , psychopathology , personality , clinical psychology , association (psychology) , young adult , developmental psychology , psychiatry , psychotherapist , social psychology
Abstract This pilot study aims to determine the effect of parental personality factors on their grown‐up children's eating attitudes. Thirty sets of non‐clinical participants (mother, father, young adult child) completed standardized measures of narcissism, borderline personality disorder characteristics and eating pathology. Data were analysed using correlations. There were specific associations between parental personality pathology and their child's eating attitudes in young adulthood, but only in relation to fathers' levels of maladaptive narcissism. The ‘martyred’ form of narcissism in fathers was linked to bulimic attitudes in their children, while their ‘controlling’ narcissism was linked with restrictive eating attitudes. These results add to the growing body of research demonstrating paternal influences on the development of eating attitudes. Potential clinical implications for family and individual therapy are also discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.