The association between carer self-compassion, expressed emotion, quality of life, and paediatric eating disorder symptoms.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate carer variables on paediatric eating disorders. We examined whether carer self-compassion, the tendency to treat oneself with kindness during distress and disappointments, was associated with lower carer expressed emotion, and, in turn, whether lower carer expressed emotion would be associated with both higher carer quality of life and lower eating disorder symptoms in young people. Further, we examined whether higher carer quality of life was associated with lower adolescent eating disorder symptoms.

METHOD

Data were extracted from the Helping out Paediatric Eating Disorders (HOPE) project database. Participants included children and adolescents diagnosed with a DSM5 eating disorder and their primary carer (N of dyads = 359). Primary carers completed the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF), Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q-SF), and the Family Questionnaire-Expressed Emotion (FQ-EE). Children and adolescents completed an adapted version of the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE).

RESULTS

As hypothesised, structural equation modelling (SEM) revealed a direct relationship between higher carer self-compassion and lower expressed emotion, and between lower expressed emotion and both higher carer quality of life and lower eating disorder symptoms. However, contrary to our hypothesis, carer quality of life was not significantly associated with paediatric eating disorder symptoms. Expressed emotion carried significant indirect effects between carer self-compassion and (a) paediatric eating disorder symptoms and (b) carer quality of life.

DISCUSSION

The results highlight the importance of further research to determine whether targeting carer self-compassion is helpful in the treatment of eating disorders in young people.