title: Experience of caring for someone with anorexia nervosa: qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Caring for someone with anorexia nervosa is distressing.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To gain a detailed understanding of carers' illness models and caregiving experiences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative analysis and computerised text analysis were conducted on narratives written by parents as part of a family intervention at a specialist in-patient unit (20 mothers, 20 fathers).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Themes concerned illness perceptions, impact on the family, and carers'emotional, cognitive and behavioural responses towards the illness. Parents perceived anorexia nervosa to be chronic and disabling. Carers blamed themselves as contributing to the illness and perceived themselves as helpless in promoting recovery. Mothers illustrated an intense emotional response, whereas fathers produced a more cognitive and detached account.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Part of the distress in living with anorexia nervosa may be explained by unhelpful assumptions and maladaptive responses to the illness. Training parents in skills to manage the illness may improve outcome by reducing interpersonal maintaining factors.
authors.affiliation: PO Box 59, Eating Disorders Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF,UK. j.whitney@iop.kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jenna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Whitney
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gavan
authors.forename: Gill
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Whitaker
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Treasure
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004644:Emotions; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012737:Sex Factors; D006113:United Kingdom