title: Impact of caregiving experience on mental health  among caregivers: a comparison of eating disorder patients  with purging and non-purging behaviors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Differences in mental health among primary caregivers of eating disorder patients with purging and non-purging behaviors were explored and predictors of psychopathological distress among caregivers were also determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  177 caregivers, ranging from 29 to 75 years of age, of adults and adolescents with an ED participated in the study. The caregivers completed self-report assessments related to psychopathological distress (GSI), specific experience of caregiving and expressed emotion. Results A statistically significant difference in psychopathological distress was presented by caregivers of patients with purging behaviors (38.9%) compared with non-purging ones (25%), using a GSI cut-off point. In patients who purged, caregiver’s intrusiveness and difficulties related to eating behavior accounted for 25% of the variance and in those who did not purge, difficulties related to eating behavior, guilt, social isolation, hostility and negative attitude toward illness accounted for 44% of variance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The differences observed indicate the importance of identifying purging as a significant clinical marker of increased risk of psychopathological distress in caregivers.
authors.forename: Ana R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Sepulveda
authors.forename: Dimitra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Anastasiadou
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pellegrin
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andrés
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Graell
authors.forename: Jose A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Carrobles
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morandé
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult