TITLE:
Object Relations and Relationships with Parents as Predictors of Motivation to Recover from Eating Disorders
AUTHORS:
Dana Warshawsky, Jonathan E. Handelzalts
KEYWORDS:
Eating Disorders, Motivation, Recovery, Object Relations, Parental Relationships
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.5 No.15,
October
23,
2014
ABSTRACT: The lack
of motivation to recover from eating disorders (ED) poses a big problem in
light of literature showing the critical role motivation plays in the outcome
of ED treatment. Literature exploring the factors contributing to motivation to
recover is scarce. The current study aims at exploring the associations between
aspects of object relations and quality of relationships with parents to the
motivation for recovery in light of research suggesting an influence of these
variables in the development of ED. 79 females, visitors of either “pro-anorexia”
websites (in which ED are glorified as an alternative life style rather than
being acknowledged as mental disorders) or “prorecovery” websites, completed a
set of questionnaires online including Eat-26, Anorexia Nervosa Stages of
Change Questionnaire, Quality of Relationship Inventory regarding parents and blatt’s
Object Relations Inventory. Results show that while the score on EAT-26 was
related to both mother and father variables, only the quality of relationship
with the father is a significant variable in predicting motivation to recover
from ED. Implications for treatment and further research are discussed.