Support stance in carers of adults with eating disorders: Factors associated with collaborative versus directive...

The support provided by family and friends is integral to patient motivation and clinical outcomes across health care populations. However, little is known about factors that promote or interfere with the type of support offered.

This research examined factors associated with collaborative versus directive support among carers of adults with eating disorders.

Participants were mothers, fathers, partners, friends, and siblings (N = 141) of eating disorder patients in hospital or residential treatment. Two methodologies were used to assess directive and collaborative support stance: a questionnaire of support behaviors and coded responses to clinical vignettes. Measures of interpersonal functioning, psychiatric distress, caregiving experience, and closeness with their loved one were also completed.

Although carers rated a collaborative stance as more helpful than a directive stance, 60% of responses to the clinical vignettes were directive. Across both methodologies, collaborative support behaviors were associated with beliefs about helpful support and with a less vindictive and cold interpersonal style. Whereas use of a directive support stance was exclusively associated with negative caregiving experiences, collaborative responses were associated with both positive and negative experiences.

Although the benefits of collaborative support have been well established, this is the first study to examine factors associated with the use of support stance. Findings suggest a number of ways to help carers create and maintain collaborative relationships, including addressing beliefs and interpersonal style and capitalizing on both positive and negative experiences with their loved one. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.(Int J Eat Disord 2017; 50:498-505).