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Implicit Family Process Rules in Eating‐Disordered and Non‐Eating‐Disordered Families
Author(s) -
Gillett Kyle S.,
Harper James M.,
Larson Jeffry H.,
Berrett Michael E.,
Hardman Randy K.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of marital and family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.868
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1752-0606
pISSN - 0194-472X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2009.00113.x
Subject(s) - anorexia nervosa , eating disorders , psychology , disordered eating , bulimia nervosa , feeling , kindness , young adult , family therapy , developmental psychology , anorexia , clinical psychology , psychiatry , medicine , social psychology , philosophy , theology
Family environment has been shown to be one of the factors related to the presence of eating disorders among young‐adult females. Clinical experience and theories about eating disorders postulate that implicit family rules are an intricate part of family process that may have a great effect on the creation and maintenance of such problems. This study compared implicit family process rules (specifically rules pertaining to kindness; expressiveness and connection; constraining thoughts, feelings, and self; inappropriate caretaking; and monitoring) in families with a young‐adult female diagnosed with an eating disorder—either anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or eating disorder not otherwise specified—and families with a young‐adult female without an eating disorder diagnosis. One hundred two families (51 eating disordered and 51 comparison) participated in the study. Mothers, fathers, young‐adult female children, and siblings completed the Family Implicit Rules Profile (Harper, Stoll, & Larson, 2007). Results indicated that eating‐disordered families are governed by a greater proportion of constraining family rules than are non‐eating‐disordered families. Additionally, eating‐disordered youth reported a lower proportion of facilitative family rules and a higher proportion of constraining family rules than did parents and siblings. Theoretical, research, and clinical implications are discussed.