The role of parenting experiences in the development of social anxiety and agoraphobia in the eating disorders

Abstract

While social anxiety and agoraphobia are commonly observed in patients with eating disorders, little is known about the types of family environment that may predispose patients to the development of these types of comorbid anxiety problem. The present study investigated whether social anxiety and agoraphobia in patients with eating disorders are linked to different types of parenting experiences. A sample of 70 women meeting DSM-IV criteria for an eating disorder completed self-report measures of social anxiety, agoraphobia and perceived parenting experiences. Social anxiety in patients with eating disorders is associated with emotionally inhibited parenting by fathers (i.e., parenting that reflects a lack of ability to share feelings with the child), while agoraphobia is associated with anxious/fearful parenting by mothers (i.e., parenting that reflects anxious, fearful traits in the parent and a pessimistic outlook on life). Specific parenting experiences may contribute to the development of comorbid social anxiety and agoraphobia in patients with eating disorders. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.