Year: 2011
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Carers of people with eating disorders report high levels of distress. In addition, carers' responses to the illness may perpetuate eating disorder symptoms. A cognitive interpersonal maintenance model of eating disorders is proposed and interventions for carers may improve well-being in both carers and patients. Aims To examine an interpersonal maintenance model of eating disorders, using a self-help intervention for carers. METHOD: A pre-test-post-test design was used with carers randomised into self-help or guided self-help, which included the Expert Carers Helping Others (ECHO) intervention. Carers' distress, well-being, proposed maintenance factors, and carer reports on the status of the patient were measured. RESULTS: Carers' distress reduced and secondary outcomes improved. Improvement in carers' status and perceived improvements in patients were associated with reductions in expressed emotion and in accommodating and enabling behaviours. Self-help and guided self-help versions were comparable. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in maintenance factors from the theoretical model were associated with a reduction in carers' distress and improvement in perceived patient functioning. Interventions which specifically target maintaining factors may be of benefit.
Institutions: Guy's Hospital, King's College London
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2147397794