Parental bonding and eating disorder core beliefs in a non-clinical sample

This study investigated the relationship between early childhood experiences and eating disorder related core beliefs in the context of cognitive behavioural models of eating disorders highlighting the role of core beliefs or schema. A non-clinical sample of 736 participants (87 % female) was recruited and completed online self report questionnaires. Given the complexity of the relationship between the independent (parental bonding) and dependent (eating disorder related core belief) variables canonical correlation analysis was used to analyse the relationship between the two variable sets. Five functions explained 27.4 % of the variance shared between the two variable sets, and indicated one significant canonical function. Mother and father levels of care and overprotection were the strongest predictors of participant self ratings of the core beliefs self-loathing and abandonment. The results support an association between adverse childhood experiences and negative core beliefs in those with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, a key link in cognitive behavioural models of eating disorders. It will, of course, be important to seek to replicate this work in a clinical eating disorder sample.