Charlotte Rhind1, Laura Salerno2, Rebecca Hibbs1, Nadia Micali3,4, Ulrike Schmidt1, Simon Gowers5, Pamela Macdonald1, Elizabeth Goddard1, Gillian Todd6, Kate Tchanturia1,7, Gianluca Lo Coco2, Janet Treasure1. 1. Section of Eating Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK. 2. Department of Psychological and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. 3. Behavioural and Brain Sciences Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK. 4. Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, US. 5. Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Liverpool, Chester, UK. 6. South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. 7. Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to examine caregiving burden and levels of distress, accommodating behaviours, expressed emotion (EE) and carers' skills, in parents of adolescents with anorexia nervosa. METHOD: A semi-structured interview assessed the objective burden (time spent across caregiving tasks) in parents (n = 196) of adolescents (n = 144) receiving outpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa. Subjective burden (carers' distress), accommodating behaviours, EE and carers' skills were measured by self-report. RESULTS: Mothers, on average, spent 2.5 h/day of care, mainly providing food and emotional support, compared with 1 h/day by fathers. The level of distress and accommodating behaviour was significantly lower in fathers than in mothers. Accommodating behaviours mediated the relationship between objective burden and subjective burden in mothers, whereas EE and carers' skills did not mediate this relationship for either parent. DISCUSSION: The objective burden for most mothers is high. In order to reduce subjective burden, it may be helpful to target accommodating behaviours. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN83003225 - Expert Carers Helping Others (ECHO).
OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to examine caregiving burden and levels of distress, accommodating behaviours, expressed emotion (EE) and carers' skills, in parents of adolescents with anorexia nervosa. METHOD: A semi-structured interview assessed the objective burden (time spent across caregiving tasks) in parents (n = 196) of adolescents (n = 144) receiving outpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa. Subjective burden (carers' distress), accommodating behaviours, EE and carers' skills were measured by self-report. RESULTS: Mothers, on average, spent 2.5 h/day of care, mainly providing food and emotional support, compared with 1 h/day by fathers. The level of distress and accommodating behaviour was significantly lower in fathers than in mothers. Accommodating behaviours mediated the relationship between objective burden and subjective burden in mothers, whereas EE and carers' skills did not mediate this relationship for either parent. DISCUSSION: The objective burden for most mothers is high. In order to reduce subjective burden, it may be helpful to target accommodating behaviours. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN83003225 - Expert Carers Helping Others (ECHO).
Authors: Julia Philipp; Claudia Franta; Michael Zeiler; Stefanie Truttmann; Tanja Wittek; Hartmut Imgart; Annika Zanko; Ellen Auer-Welsbach; Dunja Mairhofer; Michaela Mitterer; Clarissa Laczkovics; Gabriele Schöfbeck; Elisabeth Jilka; Wolfgang B Egermann; Janet Treasure; Andreas F K Karwautz; Gudrun Wagner Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-04-27 Impact factor: 3.390