The purpose of this study was to examine the role of sociocultural factors in the occurrence of pathological eating attitudes and behaviours by determining the relationship between acculturation to Canada, as a Western culture , and eating attitudes and behaviours in a nonclinical sample of female Chinese and Caucasian university students. In addition , as an exploratory goal any possible relationship between acculuturative stress and eating attitudes and behaviours was also explored. One hundred female Caucasian and 131 female Chinese undergraduate students were recruited from the University of British Columbia. Each subject was asked to complete a Demographic Questionnaire as well as the 26 item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT; Garner, Olmsted, Bohr, & Garfinkel, 1982). Additionally , the Chinese subjects were asked to complete the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA; Suinn, Rickard-Figueroa, Lew, & Vigil, 1987) and the 24 item SAFE Acculturative Stress Scale (SAFE; Mean, Padilla, & Maldonado, 1987). / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to examine the governing scripts in the lives of women with eating disorders via narrative analysis. Interviews were conducted with 5 women with eating disorders (EDs), whose ages ranged from 27 years to 36 years. An average of two interviews per participant took place, with each interview being recorded and transcribed. The interviews centred around early recollections (ERs) and dream reports, which were gathered in the context of their life-stories. The participants were recruited from private counselling practices, psychiatric practices, and family practices, and were considered suitable for the study if they expressed an interest in participating in the study, and their attending therapist or doctor was satisfied they fit the DSM-1V (APA, 1994) criteria for an eating disorder. Tomkins' (1979, 1987, 1991) script theory provided the theoretical underpinnings to the research, with Carlson's (1981, 1986) script-theoretic analysis as the primary methodological tool. Alexander's (1988) method of accessing scripts via principal identifiers of salience was used in conjunction with script-theoretic analysis when applicable. The ERs were examined for evidence of the nuclear scene, followed by analysis of the life-stories and dream stories for magnifications of the nuclear scene in the form of analogs and anti-analogs. The results showed the following commonalities: a) that a story of perceived loss of the parent or parental figure was at the heart of each nuclear scene, with the script threading through each woman's life as a theme of "longing for mother" or "a quest for love"; b) that the nuclear script was profoundly reactivated at the time of the development of each participant's ED; c) a family "no talk" rule about negative feelings and traumatic events; d) participants had difficult relationships with their mothers; e) a perception of home as unsafe, manifested in a recurring nightmare from childhood; f) participants responded to stress in their homes by adopting the personality of the "perfect girl" according to family values; g) body-image/self-image disturbances predated the eating disorder; and h) that traditional gender-roles and attitudes towards women were present in all the families in varying ways. More narrative research of the lives of women with EDs is needed to confirm and support these findings. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

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No description available.

A growing body of research has explored the prevalence of eating disorder pathology within the ethnically and culturally diverse South African context. The purpose of this study was to examine the presence and severity of eating disorder symptoms within a multi-racial, female student sample. In addition to this, the pathogenic role of the family was considered and framed in terms of attachment theory. Thus, a secondary aim was to explore the relationship between disordered eating and participants' membership to an attachment style and /or dimension. A questionnaire survey was administered to a convenience sample of 127 first year, female, university students. The sample included 39 (30.71%) Black, 5 (3.94%) Coloured, 29 (22.83%) Indian and 54 (42.52%) White women. Levels of disordered eating were measured by the Eating Disorder Inventory 1 (EDI 1). Attachment styles were determined by means of the Close Relationship Questionnaire (CRQ) and attachment dimensions were calculated by means of the Adult Attachment Scale (AAS). It was found that Black students had higher mean scores on seven of the eight EDI 1 subscales than their Indian and White peers. There were significant differences noted on the EDI 1 sub-scales of Bulimia (p < .01), Perfectionism (p < .05), and Interpersonal Distrust (p < .05). White participants scored highest on the Body Dissatisfaction sub-scale. A negative relationship was indicated between the eight EDI 1 sub-scales and the secure attachment dimension (Close). A positive relationship was found between the eight EDI sub-scales and the two insecure attachment dimensions (Depend and Anxiety). Significant differences were found between the race groups in terms of the classification of participants into three attachment styles /dimensions. This research supports previous findings with regard to high levels of eating disordered pathology among Black women. Furthermore, support of a relationship between disordered eating and participants' attachment in close relationships was indicated. In particular, the psychological struggles implicated in disordered eating such as feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness, mistrust of others, and difficulty with emotions, were found to be significantly associated with unhealthy or insecure attachment patterns that reflected difficulty with trust and dependency in close relationships. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

The sociocultural model of eating pathology is an empirically-supported model explaining eating disorder etiology. The model poses that body dissatisfaction and subsequent eating pathology stems from the unrealistic standards formulated by Westernized society. Although the model has strong empirical support, variables within the model do not account for 100% of the variance in disordered eating. Thus, the current researcher attempted to explore potential moderating factors in the sociocultural model of eating disorders that may help to explain variance currently unaccounted for. In particular, the researcher focused on the relationship between sociocultural internalization and body dissatisfaction, given that this relationship has not been previously explored within the literature. Based on theoretical support, the researcher chose several potential variables to test, including perfectionism, neuroticism, body surveillance, and shame. Primary analyses tested each variable for moderating effects using hierarchical moderated regression, but no significant findings were shown. Results of post hoc analyses showed all variables had significant mediating effects, with the exception of self-oriented perfectionism. The discussion section addresses consistency with previous research, limitations of the present study, treatment implications and guidelines for future research.

Eating disorders remain a phenomenon that escapes full comprehension, resulting in frustration for those who suffer from the disorders, their families, and their therapists. It is becoming increasingly necessary to describe the mechanism by which eating disorders develop, in order to effectively treat and prevent these disorders. The aim of this study was to illuminate factors that contributed to the development of eating disorders within the individual contexts of the lives of the participants, as well as how those factors interacted in context to culminate in the development of an eating disorder. This qualitative study was conducted from an interpretive perspective. The findings show how individual contextual factors interact to produce a marked fear of gaining weight, which is driven by fear of negative evaluation, and that the eating disorder behaviour serves specific functions that are related to coping with stress within the lives of the participants. / Psychology / M. Sc. (Psychology with specialisation in Research Consultation)

Numerous studies have reported psychological benefits associated with the practice of values-based self-affirmation. However, there is little evidence regarding their clinical applicability. Many of the purported benefits of values-based self-affirmation are highly relevant to people with bulimia nervosa (BN). This study used a multiple case study design in order to investigate the effectiveness, underlying mechanisms and acceptability of a brief (three week) intervention focussing on the development and practice of values-based self-affirmations with people who have BN. Two participants were recruited from an Eating Disorders (ED) Service waiting list. They completed questionnaires measuring cognitions associated with ED, attitude towards change, self-esteem, self-compassion, body image acceptance, psychological flexibility, cognitive defusion, and SELF repertory grids over four time points. Following appointments qualitative data was collected, and on completion of the intervention participants were interviewed, regarding their experiences. Pre and post intervention behavioural measures of BN were also collected. The use of a personal values-based self-affirmation intervention was associated with reductions in behaviours associated with BN, enhanced attitude towards change and reduced discrepancy between self and ideal self. There was little convincing evidence that the intervention was associated with a reduction in cognitions associated with ED. A very small degree of change in a positive direction was observed in relation to self-esteem, self-compassion, body image acceptance, psychological flexibility and cognitive fusion. However, scores did not reflect Reliable Change in these processes. Overall, results appeared to be slightly better explained by theory underpinning Personal Construct Psychotherapy rather than Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. However, neither theoretical explanation fully accounted for the data. Participants generally found the intervention to be acceptable. The results add novel findings to the literature regarding the use of values-based self-affirmation within the treatment of BN. They suggest that a brief values-based self-affirmation intervention might be a useful adjunct to evidence based treatment of BN. However, the case study design that is utilised in this study limits the degree to which these results may be generalised and future research should explore this further.

Bakgrund: Ätstörningar, som främst kännetecknas som ett skadligt beteendemönster gällande mat, är idag den psykiska sjukdomen med högst dödsfrekvens och att vårda en sjukdomsdrabbad person är i regel mycket krävande och utmanande. Ofta kan det innebära en signifikant stress för vårdgivaren och en stark känsla av skuld. Syfte: Att beskriva föräldrars upplevelser och känslor kring att vara förälder till ett barn med ätstörningar. Metod: Studien utfördes som en kvalitativ intervjustudie med en deskriptiv design. Sex semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes, tre via muntlig intervju och tre via enkät, som analyserades med hjälp av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Föräldrarna beskrev en tillvaro med mycket smärta, känslor av frustration, förtvivlan och maktlöshet av att inte veta hur situationer skulle hanteras, samt känslan att vara övervakare och att tvingas begränsa barnet. Stöd upplevde föräldrarna få från partners, barnets skola och vården. Det beskrevs hur syskon reagerade olika på situationen och att familjen hade begränsats, både socialt och gällande flexibilitet kring matrutiner, men att sjukdomen ändå förde familjen närmare varandra. Slutsats: Resultatet visar att ätstörningar kan påverka sin omgivning mycket starkt och föräldrar beskriver en tillvaro som kan vara väldigt jobbig, emotionellt krävande, tålamodsprövande och ibland rent skrämmande. Föräldrarna är till majoritet mycket nöjda med vårdens hjälp och stöd. Hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal bör fortsätta se till både den sjukdomsdrabbade och de anhöriga som en helhet. Trots allt negativt omkring sjukdomen, tycker sig föräldrarna se positiva faktorer såsom öppnare samtalsklimat och en mer sammansvetsad familj.

A collection of short stories and one novella featuring women’s issues, fairy tales, a coming-of-age story, and a pregnancy that turns out differently than expected upon delivery.