title: Attachment disruption in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: a review of theory and empirical research.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To critically review both the theoretical propositions about the connections between attachment disruption and eating disorders and the empirical work directly examining these associations.
  
  
  METHODS
  The major theoretical positions advocating an influential role for disruptions in the early development of secure attachments in the development of eating disorders were identified and a comprehensive review of empirical studies derived from these positions undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is evidence for the presence of attachment disturbances in eating-disordered populations and for an association of these disturbances with key aspects of eating disorder psychopathology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because of the limitation of the single pathway conceptualization adopted by the theoreticians and researchers reviewed, few inferences about the role of attachment processes in the etiology and maintenance of eating disorders can be drawn from the existing literature. The paper argues for the development of multifactorial and process-orientated models of the role of attachment functions in the pathogenesis of eating disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: O'Kearney
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009769:Object Attachment; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011582:Psychological Theory; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012106:Research; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept