Patterns of attachment and reflective functioning in families of adolescents with eating disorders

This study investigated attachment patterns and mentalising capacity of adolescent girls with eating disorders, their mother’s reflective capacity, and family functioning. Girls with eating disorders scored higher rates of insecure attachment, lower attachment coherence and higher hypermentalising...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Seah, Elizabeth Jane Izett
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Curtin University 2015
Online Access:62942
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/629
Description
Summary:This study investigated attachment patterns and mentalising capacity of adolescent girls with eating disorders, their mother’s reflective capacity, and family functioning. Girls with eating disorders scored higher rates of insecure attachment, lower attachment coherence and higher hypermentalising than non-clinical girls. Although mothers’ reflective functioning did not differ between groups, a proportion of clinical mothers scored very low reflective functioning compared to controls. Clinical families presented with higher depression, anxiety, communication difficulties and conflict.