Marital and Parent—Child Relationships in Families With Daughters Who Have Eating Disorders

Abstract

This study assesses and compares the relationship between parents' marital quality, parent—child relationship, and severity of eating-related psychopathology in families with and without eating disorders. Data are collected from the mother, father, and daughter of 30 families with a daughter diagnosed with anorexia or bulimia and from 30 matched healthy control families. Results indicate that parents of daughters with anorexia or bulimia have significantly lower marital quality than the control group, and the daughters report lower relationship quality with their parents. Parent—child relationships serve as a mediating variable between parents' marital quality and severity of the eating-related psychopathology. Results highlight that higher marital quality is associated with better parent—child relationships, which are related to a lower severity of eating-related psychopathology.