The diagnostic and therapeutic uses of family conflicts in a Chinese context: the case of anorexia nervosa

Abstract

There are two untested cultural beliefs commonly held among family therapists in Hong Kong: (1) Chinese families are reserved in disclosing their conflicts to an ‘outsider’; and (2) it would be culturally inappropriate to elicit family conflicts in treatment. In this article, an attempt is made to examine these cultural beliefs based on the results of a qualitative study of thirty‐five Chinese patients suffering from anorexia nervosa. These patients and their families have participated in a pre‐treatment family interview prior to the commencement of family treatment. The results of the study have shown that the afflicted Chinese families are very willing to disclose their difficulties to the researcher. The onset of the disorder has led to different types of family conflicts including: (1) overt family conflicts related to food refusal; (2) covert family conflicts; (3) increased sibling rivalry; (4) increased parent–child conflict; and (5) marital tension and distress. The clinical implications of this study are discussed at the end of the article.

Family Psychic Transmission and Anorexia Nervosa

“…The reports obtained show that, with the emergence of Mabel's symptoms, the family reorganized its relational dynamics, which is consistent with that reported in the literature (Eisler, 1995;Leonidas & Santos, 2014;Ma, 2005).…”

“…She stated that she felt that she "jumped" a stage of life: (Mabel,daughter,aged 25 years) Mabel said that she lost the bonds with loved ones at this time, due to changing city, and because she did not know how to deal with these emotional disruptions. Significant changes in the family life may also have contributed to the outbreak of the ED condition (Berge et al, 2011;Ma, 2005Ma, , 2008. For Eiguer (1985), some families experience every kind of separation with intense pain, without the capacity for the elaboration of grief.…”

“…Some life events can potentialize this vulnerability, such as the death of a family member, drastic changes in the pattern of relationships (as in a divorce and/or remarriage of a parent), change of school, home or job, chronic illness and/or prolonged hospitalization, and sexual abuse (Berge, Loth, Hanson, Croll-Lampert, & Neumark-Sztainer, 2011;Ma, 2005Ma, , 2008. However, the destabilizing potential of stressful events depends on the configuration and effectiveness of the social support network, which can either serve as a protective factor or as a factor of vulnerabilization Leonidas, Crepaldi, & Santos, 2013).…”

A Família E Os Transtornos Alimentares

“…Devemos, pelo contrário, ver essa relação como potencialmente produtora de melhora no transtorno, com uma função importante dentro da família: a mãe estaria na melhor posição para facilitar a recuperação da filha, e a dependência desta com relação à mãe pode ser fonte de apoio para a filha durante o tratamento 28 . Uma vez que o modelo de explicação teórica de uma dada doença leva à proposição de determinados paradigmas de tratamento, devemos considerar os riscos e as vantagens de acreditarmos que o que nós sabemos sobre a doença são metáforas possíveis de compreensão que são infinitamente relativas e negociáveis 29 .…”

Produção e negociação de sentidos em um grupo de apoio aos familiares de pessoas diagnosticadas com anorexia nervosa e bulimia nervosa

“…No grupo, esse sentido foi mais empregado por pais e mães no grupo, o que pode estar relacionado à ênfase que as teorias psicológicas dão as figuras paternas e maternas no desenvolvimento de patologias no filho (MA, 2005).…”