Perception of family relationships and personal integration in young women suffering from anorexia nervosa

Abstract

The presented study concerns finding an answer to the question of perceived quality of relationships in the family of origin and personal integration, as well as the link between these variables among young women suffering from anorexia nervosa. The aim of the study was to determine: (1) the manner of assessing relationships in the family of origin by women suffering from anorexia; (2) the level of their personal integration (as a whole and in relation to its components, particularly trust, autonomy, and a sense of identity); and (3) the associations between the quality of family relationships and personal integration along with its components (psychosocial resources/ego qualities). The intergroup differences were verified in the scope of three types of family relationships: autonomy/control, consistency and communication, and the level of overall personal integration and seven out of eight (due to the age of the respondents) ego qualities identified in the theory proposed by Erikson. A total 60 women aged 18 to 24 years (M = 19.15, standard deviation, SD = 1.89) took part in the study. The research group comprised 29 women with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, whereas the control group consisted of 31 healthy women. The Family Relationship Questionnaire (KRR-3) developed by Plopa and Połomski (2010), the Personal Integration Questionnaire (KINTO) authored by Zagórska, Migut and Jelińska (2014), and an original sociodemographic survey were applied. It was assumed that women suffering from anorexia, compared to healthy women, would assess relationships in the family of origin differently, particularly the relationship with the mother, and that they were less strongly integrated, mainly in relation to such resources as trust, autonomy, and a sense of identity. It was also believed that there was a link between the assessment of family relationships and personal integration. The hypotheses concerning overly protective and controlling parental attitudes in women suffering from anorexia were confirmed. They were also found to have a lower level of personal integration and sense of identity. A small number of associations that are difficult to interpret in the case of the relationship with the mother were found between the perceived quality of family relationships and the psychosocial resources of women suffering from anorexia, which may be attributed to denial commonly occurring in persons suffering from anorexia. The picture of the matrix of the studied relationships turned out to be different in both groups, particularly with regard to the relationship between personal integration and the three attitudes of the mother.