Affective dysregulation, attachment disorganization and Eating Disorders: Individual and familial risk factors

Journal title MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL’INFANZIA
Author/s Valentina Guiducci, Fabiola Bizzi, Antonio Ferro, Donatella Cavanna
Publishing Year 2018 Issue 2018/2
Language Italian Pages 21 P. 65-85 File size 228 KB
DOI 10.3280/MAL2018-002005
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Attachment working models have been interpreted such as affective regulation/dysregulation patterns, whose disruption is associated with eating disorders. The purpose of this research work was to investigate attachment models and alexithymia in a sample of young 50 outpatients with anorexia and bulimia, in a subsample of parents and in a control group. The following instruments were administrated: Adult Attachment Interview, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Observer Alexithymia Scale, SCID-I. The results show an over-representation of dismissing and disorganized attachment in the clinical sample. ED subjects show a significantly higher level of alexithymia than the control group. Daughters and parents tend to attribute to each other alexithymic characteristics. Alexithymia could be considered as a symptom of a family that is not able to promote the development of affect mentalization.

Keywords: Eating disorders, affective regulation, attachment disorganization, alexithymia, risk factors.

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Valentina Guiducci, Fabiola Bizzi, Antonio Ferro, Donatella Cavanna, Disregolazione affettiva, disorganizzazione dell’attaccamento e disturbi alimentari: fattori di rischio individuali e familiari in "MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL’INFANZIA" 2/2018, pp 65-85, DOI: 10.3280/MAL2018-002005