The lived experiences of parents caring for their adolescent with anorexia nervosa

Abstract

Background: Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a potentially severe mental disorder that predominantly initiates in adolescence, affecting both the patients and their families. Indeed, the liabilities to provide care to an adolescent with AN and the difficulties of sustaining a family may negatively impact the parent. Regardless, healthcare professionals (HPs) are likely to concentrate on the on the patient’s care and neglect to support the caregiver. Aim & Objectives: This study aimed to explore the meaning the parents attribute to their experience of caring for their adolescent with AN. The objectives were to gain insight into the parents’ struggles and emotions, explore the impact of the adolescent’s diagnosis on their lives and their coping responses to caregiving. Thoroughly, this study will narrow the gap in the local and international literature considering this topic. Design: The design adopted was a qualitative approach following the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith et al., 2009). Participants: Five parents, consisting of four mothers caring for their daughter and one father caring for his son, all adolescents diagnosed with AN. Participants were recruited from a local centre specialised in treating eating disorders. Methodology: Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants. Semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis were done using IPA. Results: Three super-ordinate themes emerged, namely: Getting to the Bottom of the Problem, Walking on Eggshells and The Aftermath. Conclusions: Participants described their harrowing experience with identifying and acknowledging their adolescent’s illness. High distress and anxiety were reported within parents while addressing the adolescent and implementing care. Notably, parents were affected psychologically, emotionally, physically, and socially, which led to a decreased quality of life. Furthermore, results imply that acceptance and escape mechanisms are the primary self-preserving responses within caregivers. Nevertheless, parents verbalised the importance of support from HPs as it generates motivation and hope for their adolescent’s recovery