Attachment Patterns of Mothers with Daughters Affected by Anorexia Nervosa: Exploring Psychosocial Dimensions and Intervention Perspectives

Author(s):

Luna Carpinelli, Giulia Savarese*, Daniela D’Elia and Giorgia Bruno

Introduction: Research in clinical developmental psychology has offered a relational reading of early-onset eating disorders, highlighting the important role played by the attachment bond in the genesis of EDs. The present study aims to investigate attachment styles in adulthood in a sample of mothers of daughters with Anorexia Nervosa (AN), the quality of family functioning, the possible presence of positive/negative affectivity, and the perception of self-efficacy.

Method: Eleven mothers (mean age=49.09; SD=4.65) of adolescents with AN voluntarily participated in the study. The following standardized tests were selected and administered: 12-item General Functioning Scale of the Family Assessment Device (GF-FAD); Relationship Questionnaire (RQ), to assess attachment style; Parental Self-Efficacy Scale (PSES); Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS).

Results: 36.4% of the sample showed relational dysfunction in the household (GF-FAD>2.00). 45.5% of the mothers presented a dismissing attachment style. All responding mothers fell within the clinical range of the PN-PANAS scale with a medium level of PSES (M=25.09; SD=5.89).

Conclusion: It is important to strategically target treatment pathways also for preventive purposes in order to better manage personal and family resources, with the aim that the family should be a protective factor and not a maintenance factor of the disorder.