Preventing eating disorders and disordered eating in genetically vulnerable, high‐risk families

Abstract

Objective: To close the chasm between theory about families containing a parent with an eating disorders (EDs) history and lack of selective or indicated prevention programming for such families with an older child or adolescent who is, genetically, at high risk. Method: A search of four major databases for January 2000 through September 2022 yielded no publications that (a) identified genetically high-risk families with offspring ages 10 through 18; (b) devised a prevention program for the family; and (c) evaluated program effects on risk/protective factors. To rectify this gap, research on three lines of family-based prevention is reviewed: (1) programs for adolescents at genetic risk for depression or anxiety; (2) the Stanford-Dresden project for adolescents at high risk for anorexia nervosa; and (3) Sadeh-Sharvit et al.'s work concerning the Parent-Based Prevention program for mothers with an EDs history and a child under age 5. Results: The significant challenges for innovative prevention programming should be addressed by experts in effective EDs, depression, and anxiety prevention, and in family-based treatment (FBT) for EDs, collaborating with people from genetically vulnerable families. Innovative programming should focus on robust risk factors for EDs, adaptive expression of non-specific risk factors (e.g., temperament), and strengthening family functioning. Discussion: The field is overdue for development of prevention programs designed for older children or adolescents who are at risk because a parent has an ED. Evidence-based prevention programs for EDs and for depression and anxiety, as well as parent-based prevention informed by FBT, provide a springboard for addressing this gap.

The Relationship between the Family Environment and Disordered Eating Patterns: A Moderated Mediated Model of Automatic Thoughts and Gender

“…This evidence corroborates previous studies [27,47]. A narrative review by [48,49] also concluded that a healthy family environment could be a protective factor against eating disorders and suggested eating disorders be treated within the family context. Some prospective studies examined parent and family functioning as predictors of disordered eating patterns and found that was the case [50,51].…”

Toward a more comprehensive understanding and support of parents with a child experiencing an eating disorder

“…The need for such solutions has been magnified by the COVID pandemic with increased ED referrals, hospitalizations, and complexity of presentations (Allen et al, 2020). (Bulik, 2023;Levine & Sadeh-Sharvit, 2022) and widely tested, effective programs (Stice et al, 2021). However, governments and other organizations have not funded large-scale rollout of leading prevention programs and thus this cost-effective (Butterfly Foundation, 2015), upstream option in reducing the burden of EDs remains inexplicably under-utilized.…”

The Relationship between the Family Environment and Eating Disorder Symptoms in a Saudi Non-Clinical Sample of Students: A Moderated Mediated Model of Automatic Thoughts and Gender

“…A narrative review by Erriu and colleagues [54] and Levine and Sadeh-Sharvit [55] also concluded that a healthy family environment could be a protective factor against eating disorders and suggested eating disorders be treated within the family context. Some prospective studies examined parent and family environment as predictors of eating disorders and found that was the case [56,57]. A study conducted by Kluck on the family factors contributing to the development of eating disorders concluded that a dysfunctional family climate was related to eating disorders [58].…”