1. Parental reflective functioning among mothers with eating disorder symptomatology
- Author
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Laura S. Callinan, Megan V. Smith, Stephanie Zerwas, and Elizabeth A. Claydon
- Subjects
Adult ,050103 clinical psychology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Multivariate analysis ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Mothers ,Asymptomatic ,Article ,Cohort Studies ,Feeding and Eating Disorders ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,medicine ,Humans ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,Bulimia Nervosa ,Psychiatry ,media_common ,Parenting ,Bulimia nervosa ,05 social sciences ,medicine.disease ,030227 psychiatry ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Clinical Psychology ,Eating disorders ,Mentalization ,Female ,Aptitude ,medicine.symptom ,Psychology ,Psychopathology ,Cohort study - Abstract
Objective Reflective Functioning is a vital aspect of parental aptitude and its absence, especially in the presence of psychopathology, can impair attachment. This study sought to clarify the relationship of parental RF among mothers with eating disorder symptomatology. Method We assessed 59 mothers for ED symptomatology using the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and RF through the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ). Bivariate and multivariate analyses compared PRFQ subscales between symptomatic and asymptomatic mothers, using a clinical cutoff score of 4 on the EDE-Q subscales. RESULTS: Greater weight and shape concerns were found to significantly predict higher RF (p = 0.023; p = 0.026). Discussion This finding could indicate a similar pattern seen among individuals with bulimia nervosa; individuals have higher RF scores, although affect regulation may still be limited. More research is needed with a larger sample to define the relationship between ED symptomatology and RF and identify potential mediators and moderators.
- Published
- 2016
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