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Adlerian Parental Counseling in Eating Disorders: preliminary data of a controlled clinical trial

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Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

Counseling interventions for parents with a daughter affected by an eating disorder (ED) may represent a useful and cost-effective tool to improve patients’ compliance to treatment and overall outcome. The present study evaluates the outcome of Adlerian Parental Counseling (APC) on individuals affected by ED and their parents.

Methods

We assessed 114 patients whose parents underwent APC and 44 individuals whose parents did not receive this intervention. All patients received multimodal treatment and were assessed at intake and at a 6-month follow-up. Patients were assessed using: the first scale and the improvement scale (GI) of the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and the Family Assessment Device (FAD). Parents underwent APC and completed several psychometric tests: Attachment Style Questionnaire, State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, Symptom Questionnaire, and Family Assessment Device.

Results

The GI of the ED group whose parents received APC significantly improved when compared with baseline. Moreover, the improvement was significantly greater for the APC group with respect to the non-APC group if the initial CGI score was considered. After counseling, mothers displayed poorer FAD scores, but their sense of inadequacy, their anxiety symptoms and their preoccupation with relationships improved. Fathers improved their social trust and reduced introverted anger. APC reduced the differences as regards family functioning perception among family members.

Conclusion

Parents reported a subjective improvement in psychopathology scales and a better fine-tuning of their perception of family dynamics with those of their daughters and husband. The improvement in family dynamics along with the motivational effect of parents’ participation in counseling may have positively influenced the outcome of the multimodal treatment. Moreover, this intervention could also have been helpful for those with a severe ED.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the National Eating Disorder Association for the assignment of the “Charron Family Grant” to sustain research on the families of people affected by eating disorders.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurosciences Department, Regional Pilot Centre for Eating Disorders, University of Torino, Via Cherasco 11, 10126, Turin, Italy

    Federico Amianto, Antonella Bertorello, Angela Spalatro, Marina Milazzo, Caterina Signa, Silvia Cavarero, Giovanni Abbate Daga & Secondo Fassino

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  1. Federico Amianto
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  2. Antonella Bertorello
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  3. Angela Spalatro
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  4. Marina Milazzo
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  5. Caterina Signa
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  6. Silvia Cavarero
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  7. Giovanni Abbate Daga
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  8. Secondo Fassino
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Correspondence to Federico Amianto.

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Amianto, F., Bertorello, A., Spalatro, A. et al. Adlerian Parental Counseling in Eating Disorders: preliminary data of a controlled clinical trial. Eat Weight Disord 19, 303–314 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-013-0079-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-013-0079-y

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