How do relatives cope with eating disorders? Results from an Italian multicentre study.
This paper aims to: (1) describe coping strategies in relatives of patients with eating disorders (EDs); (2) analyze coping strategies according to the different EDs; (3) identify correlations between patients' clinical characteristics, relatives' socio-demographic characteristics and coping strategies.



Patients and their relatives consecutively attending three outpatient units for EDs at the Universities of Naples SUN, Salerno and Catanzaro were recruited. Coping strategies were assessed through the Family Coping Questionnaire for Eating Disorders (FCQ-ED). It consists of 32 items, grouped into two factors: problem-oriented ("seek for information", "positive communication") and emotion-focused ("avoidance," "collusion," "coercion") strategies, plus one item on seeking for spiritual help.



Seventy-two patients and 127 relatives were recruited. The most frequently reported coping strategies by relatives were seeking for information, positive communication, seeking for spiritual help; the first two coping strategies were positively correlated with the level of education of both patients and relatives. Mothers reported avoidance less frequently than other relatives. Relatives of patients with BN reported collusion and coercion more frequently compared to relatives of patients with AN.



This report represents an initial attempt to understand the complex relationship among clinical, social and personal variables involved in the development of coping strategies. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.(Int J Eat Disord 2017; 50:587-592).
Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy.
Andrea
A
Fiorillo
Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy.
Gaia
G
Sampogna
Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy.
Mario
M
Luciano
Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy.
Valeria
V
Del Vecchio
Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy.
Umberto
U
Volpe
Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy.
Alessio Maria
AM
Monteleone
Psychiatric Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy.
Antonella
A
Bruni
Psychiatric Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy.
Cristina
C
Segura-Garcìa
Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy.
Francesco
F
Catapano
Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy.|Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", Section of Neurosciences, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy.
Palmiero
P
Monteleone
Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy.
Mario
M
Maj
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005190:Family; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
coping strategies; eating disorders; family members; problem-oriented coping strategies; psychoeducational family intervention