Aim:The goal of the study was to investigate the correlations among parental bonding patterns, eating disorders (ED) and self-injurious behavior (SIB). Methods:The subjects were 80 patients with ED who were divided into two groups based on those that had (n = 25) and had not engaged in SIB at least once in the last month. The patients and 120 healthy control subjects were evaluated using the Eating Disorder Inventory and the Parental Bonding Instrument.Results: On the Parental Bonding Instrument, the ED + SIB group showed significantly lower paternal care compared with the ED/no SIB and control groups. On the Eating Disorder Inventory, the ED + SIB group showed higher body dissatisfaction, and increased maturity fear compared with the other two groups. The total scores and perfectionism and interoceptive awareness differed significantly among the three groups.Conclusion: ED + SIB patients had a more severe ED pathology than ED/no SIB patients, and also felt that they had received low paternal care during childhood. Therefore, paternal care may be linked to severe ED pathology.

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PurposeA multidimensional intervention integrating alexithymia, negative affect, and type of coping strategy is needed for the effective treatment of somatoform disorder; however, few studies have applied this approach to the three different dimensions of alexithymia in patients with somatoform disorder. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between type of coping strategy and three different dimensions of alexithymia expressed in patients.Patients and methodsA total of 196 patients with somatoform disorder completed the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, the Spielberger State–Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Somatosensory Amplification Scale, and the Lazarus Stress Coping Inventory. The relationships between alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale – 20 score and subscales), demographic variables, and psychological inventory scores were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression analysis.ResultsThe mean Toronto Alexithymia Scale – 20 total score (56.1±10.57) was positively correlated with the number of physical symptoms as well as with psychopathology scores (Self-Rating Depression Scale, State–Trait Anxiety Inventory trait, state, and Somatosensory Amplification Scale), but negatively correlated with planful problem solving, confrontive coping, seeking social support, and positive reappraisal coping scores. With respect to coping strategy, multiple regression analyses revealed that “difficulty in identifying feelings” was positively associated with an escape–avoidance strategy, “difficulty in describing feelings” was negatively associated with a seeking social support strategy, and “externally oriented thinking” was negatively associated with a confrontive coping strategy.ConclusionAlexithymia was strongly associated with the number of somatic symptoms and negative affect. Patients with high “difficulty in describing feelings” tend to rely less on seeking social support, and patients with high “externally oriented thinking” tend to rely less on confrontive coping strategies. The coping skills intervention implemented should differ across individuals and should be based on the alexithymia dimension of each patient.

Aims: This study was conducted to examine factors associated with postpartum depression and abusive behavior in mothers with infants.

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