Autonomy and relatedness in the development of anorexia nervosa: a clinical case series using grounded theory

The authors propose a prototype for the development of anorexia nervosa on the basis of a series of clinical interviews with 11 women with this disorder. Grounded Theory analysis of the narrative data-generated themes suggested the following prototype: Women with the personality characteristics of compliance and perfectionism who are encouraged by families and culture to substitute others' needs for their own are at greater risk for anorexia nervosa during periods of developmental stress. This proposal is considered from the perspective of psychodynamic, cognitive, and family systems viewpoints as well as attachment theory and feminist models of the development of women. The authors suggest that narrative research contributes substantially to clinical understanding by capturing the intricate details of a phenomenon or the richness of a lived life. Nevertheless, there is a need for further quantitative research to test the specificity and generalizability of this prototype.