Sample Literature Review
Adolescent Eating Disorders and Attachment
Araceli Hogg & Zeynep Cifci
University of Houston
Adolescent Eating Disorders and Attachment
Eating Disorders (ED) negatively affect 25% of adolescents. It is a disorder that compiles abnormal eating habits that includes either excessive or insufficient food intake. These abnormal eating habits can definitely affect the individual's physical and mental health. Different factors are presume to be correlated with eating disorders in adolescents. Some examples consist of depression, anxiety, behavioral problems, low self-esteem, role of attachment, parental relationships, etc (Gossens, Braet, Bosmans, & Decaluwé, 2011). In the present paper, an examination of the role of attachment that eating disorders play in adolescents is explored. It is hypothesized that lower quality of attachment to parents in adolescents is associated with higher level of eating disorders. The following six literature reviews attempt to display and support this hypothesis.
In a research article by Bachar, Canetti, Hochfdorf, Latzer ( 2002), two questions were addressed to conduct the study. First, is the role of the family environment related to anorexic and bulimic patients? Second, are disrupted attachment behaviors linked to anorexia and bulimia disorders? The focus of the investigation was on encouragement of personal growth, parental attachment styles during the process of separation-individuation (detachment of parents) and exploration of the outside world, and compare the results with a control group (adolescents without eating disorders). It is hypothesized that family environment of individuals with eating disorders show lower levels of cohesiveness, expressiveness, encouragement of personal growth, and maintenance than families of normal controls. The sample consisted originally of 25 anorexic and 33 bulimic female patients, and 37 female controls.
The results in this study supported the hypothesis that the families' encouragement
Araceli Hogg & Zeynep Cifci
University of Houston
Adolescent Eating Disorders and Attachment
Eating Disorders (ED) negatively affect 25% of adolescents. It is a disorder that compiles abnormal eating habits that includes either excessive or insufficient food intake. These abnormal eating habits can definitely affect the individual's physical and mental health. Different factors are presume to be correlated with eating disorders in adolescents. Some examples consist of depression, anxiety, behavioral problems, low self-esteem, role of attachment, parental relationships, etc (Gossens, Braet, Bosmans, & Decaluwé, 2011). In the present paper, an examination of the role of attachment that eating disorders play in adolescents is explored. It is hypothesized that lower quality of attachment to parents in adolescents is associated with higher level of eating disorders. The following six literature reviews attempt to display and support this hypothesis.
In a research article by Bachar, Canetti, Hochfdorf, Latzer ( 2002), two questions were addressed to conduct the study. First, is the role of the family environment related to anorexic and bulimic patients? Second, are disrupted attachment behaviors linked to anorexia and bulimia disorders? The focus of the investigation was on encouragement of personal growth, parental attachment styles during the process of separation-individuation (detachment of parents) and exploration of the outside world, and compare the results with a control group (adolescents without eating disorders). It is hypothesized that family environment of individuals with eating disorders show lower levels of cohesiveness, expressiveness, encouragement of personal growth, and maintenance than families of normal controls. The sample consisted originally of 25 anorexic and 33 bulimic female patients, and 37 female controls.
The results in this study supported the hypothesis that the families' encouragement
References: Cunha, A., Relvas, A., & Soares, I. (2009). Anorexia nervosa and family relationships: Perceived family functioning, coping strategies, beliefs, and attachment to parents and peers. International Journal of Clinical And Health Psychology, 9(2), 229-240. Demidenko, N., Tasca, G. A., Kennedy, N., & Bissada, H. (2010). The Mediating Role of Self-Concept in the Relationship Between Attachment Insecurity and Identity Differentation Among Women with an Eating Disorder. Journal Of Social and Clinical Psychology, 29(10), 1131-1152. doi:10.1521/jscp.2010.29.10.1131 Gossens, L., Braet, C., Bosmans, G., & Decaluwé, V. (2011). Loss of control over eating in pre-adolescent youth: The role of attachment and self-esteem. Eating Behaviors, 12 (4), 289-295. doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2011.07.005 Latzer, Y., Hochdorf, Z., Bachar, E., & Canetti, L. (2002). Attachment style and family functioning as discriminating factors in eating disorders. Contemporary Family Therapy: An International Journal, 24 (4), 581-599. doi:10.1023/A:1021273129664 Orzolek-Kronner, C. (2002). The Effect of Attachment Theory in the Development of Eating Disorders: Can Symptoms Be Proximity-Seeking? Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 19(6), 421-435. doi:10.1023/A:1021141612634 Tereno, S., Soares, I., Martins, C., Celani, M., & Sampaio, D. (2008). Attachment styles, memories of parental rearing and therapeuti bond: a study with eating disordered patients, their parents ans therapists. European Eating Disorders Review, 16(1), 49-50. doi:10.1002/erv.801