Anorexia nervosa and parental bonding: the contribution of parent-grandparent relationships to eating disorder psychopathology

Abstract

The present study adopted an intergenerational approach in examining the association between parental bonding and anorexia nervosa. Forty-three anorexic participants and 33 nonclinical comparison participants completed eating disorder questionnaires and the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). The participant's parents also completed the PBI. The anorexic participants perceived both parents as less caring and fathers as more controlling than nonclinical participants. Among anorexic participants, mother control and father care were associated with symptom severity. Intergenerational effects were present. Among anorexic participants, maternal grandmother care was associated with eating disorder psychopathology. The present findings suggest that parental characteristics of grandparents might play a role in the development of eating disorders in granddaughters.