Causes of adolescent onset anorexia nervosa: patient perspectives.
This qualitative study describes the perspectives of former anorexia nervosa (AN) patients with respect to why they believed they developed AN. Previous patients with initial treatment in child and adolescent psychiatric clinics in northern Sweden were interviewed 8 and 16 years after initial assessment. The question, "What do you think today about the reasons why you got AN?" was asked at both interviews. Content analyze was used to categorize the answers. Causes were attributed to self, family, and socio-cultural stressors outside of the family. Most common were high own demands and perfectionism. At the second follow-up there were more answers in the family categories. The results agreed with results from risk-factor research.
Nilsson
Karin
K
Department of Clinical Science, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. karin.nilsson@psychiat.umu.se
Abrahamsson
Erik
E
Torbiornsson
Anna
A
Hägglöf
Bruno
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001828:Body Image; D005195:Family Relations; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008016:Life Change Events; D010551:Personality; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept