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Parental bonding and separation-individuation difficulties among late adolescent eating disordered women

Child Psychiatry and Human Development volume 22, pages 249–263 (1992)Cite this article

Abstract

This study is an exploration of both interpersonal and intrapsychic factors associated with eating disorders in late adolescent women. It examines perceived parental bonding characteristics and resolution of the second separation-individuation process for both eating and non-eating disordered subjects. Subjects were 20 late adolescent eating disordered women and 20 symptom-free late adolescent female university students. All subjects received the Eating Disorder Inventory, the Parental Bonding Inventory, and the Separation-Individuation Test of Adolescence. Late adolescent eating disordered women reported significantly higher levels of maternal over-protectiveness during childhood and had significantly higher levels of separation anxiety and lower healthy separation scores than non-eating disordered students.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Porirua Hospital, New Zealand

    Beverly Rhodes

  2. Education Department, Victoria University, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand

    Jane Kroger

Authors
  1. Beverly Rhodes
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  2. Jane Kroger
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Rhodes, B., Kroger, J. Parental bonding and separation-individuation difficulties among late adolescent eating disordered women. Child Psych Hum Dev 22, 249–263 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00707667

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00707667

Key words

  • Eating disorders
  • Adolescent separation-individuation
  • parental bonding