Experiências de vida relatadas por genitores masculinos de adolescentes diagnosticadas com transtorno alimentar em tratamento ambulatorial

Abstract

The present study aimed to understand life events reported by fathers of female adolescents with eating disorders (ED) in outpatient treatment and understand fathers' perceptions about the impact of having a daughter with an ED, since the symptoms onset. The Clinical-Qualitative method was used, through in-depth semi-structured interviews, using an intentional sample, closed by saturation criterion. Twelve participants were interviewed at the outpatient psychiatry unit of the Clinical Teaching Hospital at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), where Eating Disorders' Clinical and Research Program (GETA) activities are developed. Ethical procedures were taken following the ethical standards established by the National Council of Health. Data analysis was performed through the qualitative content analysis of the fully transcribed interviews and categorization. Peer-reviewers members from the Laboratory of Clinical-Qualitative Research (UNICAMP) validated the emerging categories, as also the attendees of national and international conferences where the results were presented. The findings made it possible to understand that the participants were adrift in their childhood and adolescence, devastated by child labor. They desperately sought attention without achieving a secure, affective contact with their affectively distant, hardworking father. These individuals showed difficulties in dealing adequately with situations of anguish and conflict. They felt distant from their daughters and had the sensation of impotence when faced with their daughter' problems. They minimized the early ED symptoms but feelings of sadness, frustration, fear of the daughter's death, self-guilty, powerlessness and helpless emerged, as the eating symptoms worsened. The fathers could recognize treatment benefits and perceived that they got able to improve the relationship with their daughter. Apparently, ED has functioned as a path to an improvement of the father-daughter relationship quality. Our findings can contribute to the expansion of knowledge in the area and may have application in improving clinical practice in the field of ED.