Maternal perspectives on the intergenerational transmission of eating disorders

BackgroundStudies indicate that the children of mothers who have eating disorders are at an increased risk of developing eating disorders themselves. The aim of this qualitative study was to broaden and extend current understandings of the experiences of mothers with eating disorders. The present report focuses on maternal perspectives, experiences, and support needs in relation to the intergenerational transmission of eating disorders.MethodSemi-structured online interviews were conducted with parents living in the UK, USA, and Australia. Participants were eighteen mothers with a self-reported lifetime diagnosis of one or more eating disorders, who had experienced symptoms since becoming a parent, and who had at least one child aged 2 years or older. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsFour major themes relating to the impacts of having an eating disorder on children and intergenerational transmission were identified. These were: impacts (maternal perspectives on the ways having an eating disorder impacted their children, and their reflections around having been impacted by their own parents); breaking the cycle (strategies employed by mothers in efforts to prevent their children developing eating disorders of their own); communicating about the eating disorder (maternal experiences around disclosing or not disclosing having an eating disorder to their children); and support needs (maternal and perceived familial support needs in relation to breaking cycles of intergenerational transmission).ConclusionsFor mothers with eating disorders, concerns about the potential impacts on their children and fears about intergenerational transmission are salient, and these may vary for children at different ages. The mothers who participated in our study described engaging in a number of conscious strategies in efforts to manage the risks of eating disorder development in their children, but implementing these strategies was not without challenges. Implications for preventative programs to reduce the intergenerational transmission of eating disorders are discussed. Previous research indicates that the children of parents who have eating disorders may be at greater risk of developing eating disorders themselves. Eighteen mothers who had been diagnosed with an eating disorder at some point in their life, and had experienced symptoms since becoming a parent, were interviewed. Interview data were analysed and themes were identified to describe maternal perspectives on the impacts of having an eating disorder on children. The themes identified were 'impacts', 'breaking the cycle', 'communicating about the eating disorder', and 'support needs'. The findings suggest that mothers with eating disorders are concerned about a range of potential impacts of having an eating disorder on their children. A particular concern is that they may 'pass on' their eating disorder, and these concerns may vary for children at different ages. Mothers with eating disorders described engaging in a number of food and body image-related strategies to try to protect their children from developing eating disorders, but this is not without challenges. The support needs identified by mothers in this regard could usefully be incorporated in preventative programs, with potential benefits for both children and parents in families affected by a parental eating disorder.