Body Image Disturbance, Parental Bonding and Alexithymia in Patients with Eating Disorders

Abstract

Background: To evaluate if body image disturbance and alexithymia, two major clinical features of eating disorders (ED), are predicted by an altered parental bonding. Sampling and Methods: 64 female ED outpatients and 68 female healthy controls were assessed by means of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), the Body Uneasiness Test (BUT), and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Pearson’s correlations and multiple stepwise regression analysis were applied to explore the contribution of PBI factors on BUT and TAS scores. Results: BUT weight phobia, body image concerns, avoidance, depersonalization, Global Severity Index and positive symptom total were predicted by low parental care, while compulsive self-monitoring was predicted by parental overprotection. TAS total score and difficulty in describing feelings were predicted by low maternal care. Conclusions: Body image disturbance in ED may be conceptualized as a deficit in self-development, resulting from failures in parent-child interactions which impaired the ability to distinguish bodily needs from emotional experiences.

Alexithymia as a Screening Index for Male Conscripts with Adjustment Disorder

“…Among males with adjustment disorder, perceived childhood parental overprotection and a low level of care had a perpetuating effect on alexithymia. Previous studies found similar results in that alexithymics recalled a parental rearing style of overprotection or low care [9,10]. In addition, we found patients with higher levels of neuroticism and lower levels of extraversion were more likely to have alexithymic traits; this is consistent with previous studies which found neuroticism had a positive correlation [13] and extraversion a negative correlation with alexithymia [8,14].…”

“…Twin studies on alexithymia have investigated whether this is a genetically or family environment-induced trait [6][7][8]. Although previous studies have concluded that alexithymia is genetically influenced [6,7], more recent studies support the hypothesis that alexithymia is caused by familial environment factors [8][9][10][11].…”

“…Besides attachment, the relationship between parental rearing style and attachment has also been studied, and researchers have found that more alexithymics recalled a parental rearing style of overprotection or low care [10]. Patients with eating disorders, compared to controls, also had more alexithymic features, lower parental care, and a higher degree of protection [9].…”

“…Furthermore, alexithymia is associated with various psychiatric disorders, including eating disorder, dissociation, and substance abuse [9,15,16]. However, no previous study, to the best of our knowledge, has investigated the association between adjustment disorder and alexithymia.…”

Narcissistic Regulation of the Self and Interpersonal Problems in Depersonalized Patients

“…Childhood adversities have also been found to be of particular relevance for depersonalization disorder. In a sample of adult eating disorders, an association of depersonalization with inadequate parental responsiveness was found [45] ; and in a study on a sample of 49 subjects with depersonalization disorder, emotional abuse emerged as the most signifi cant predictor of both depersonalization disorder diagnosis and depersonalization severity compared to healthy controls [46] . The lack of PCs may be regarded as a limitation of the latter study, and thus this fi nding needs further corroboration.…”