Recovering from Anorexia - Mothers & Daughters' Views

A research project of the School of Psychology, Deakin University
Recovering from anorexia nervosa is frequently a difficult process. Those who are affected by anorexia initially do not see themselves as having a problem and are resistant to seeking help. Even when the person agrees that there is a problem, they struggle to remain motivated to recover typically because of fears of gaining weight, losing a sense of control, or a sense of uniqueness. There is now a lot of evidence to suggest that sufferers move through a series of stages as they recover but this rarely occurs in a straightline; rather, their degree of motivation waxes and wanes.

As those affected by anorexia are usually adolescents or young adults, parents are deeply involved in the recovery process. This may mean being actively involved in some treatments like family therapy but it also means supporting and encouraging their daughter in the recovery process. At times, mothers and their daughters may not have a shared view of where the daughter is at in terms of her motivation to recover and her belief that she can recover. This may result in increased pressure being placed on already strained relationships and lead to conflict impacting on the recovery process.

The aim of this research is to determine whether mothers and daughters do agree on their perception of the daughter’s readiness for change, view of the pros and cons of changing, and self-efficacy or belief in ability to change. In addition, the nature of the relationship between the two (e.g., how separate the daughter feels and the level of perceived criticism) will be examined to see if this affects their level of agreement.

We are looking for daughters aged 14 – 28 who are currently recovering from anorexia and their mothers to complete independently from each other a set of questionnaires which will take 40 minutes. The questionnaires are anonymous and confidential and can be completed at home and returned to me in reply-paid envelopes.

If you are interested in assisting me, or if you have any further questions or comments regarding this study, please contact Jacqueline Woerner.
Email: jacquelinewoerner@deakin.edu.au
Phone: (03) 52278426