title: Eating disorders: a qualitative analysis of the parents' journey.
abstract: Eating disorders are a major concern in Western society. The journey that parents undertake when their child has suffered from an eating disorder has been rarely reported. The aim of this research was to explore the parents' journey using in depth interviews. Twenty-two parents from New South Wales, Australia, volunteered to be interviewed as a result of advertisements placed in parent support organisation newsletters and by using a snowballing technique. Four aspects of the journey that the parents took when their child was ill are reported in this paper. The research findings are taken directly from the accounts provided by parents. These parents' stories will be of interest to health professionals working with families in the area of eating disorders.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Family and Community Health, University of Western Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beale
authors.forename: Rose
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McMaster
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hillege
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000786:Anger; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D006167:Guilt; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D009013:Morale; D009517:New South Wales; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D011287:Prejudice; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires