Throm Jana Katharina, Dörsam Annica Franziska, Micali Nadia, Preissl Hubert, Giel Katrin Elisabeth
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
Centre of Excellence for Eating Disorders Tuebingen (KOMET), University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
Int J Eat Disord. 2025 Feb;58(2):452-458. doi: 10.1002/eat.24338. Epub 2024 Nov 27.
Transition to parenthood is a vulnerable period for individual health and partnership quality. This study investigated parental health and partnership after childbirth in families with and without maternal eating disorder (ED) history. We report longitudinal data on parental ED psychopathology, depressive symptoms, and adjustment, including dyadic associations.
Data derived from the prospective multi-method cohort study EMKIE. Women with (n = 24) and without (n = 33) ED history and their partners took part from late pregnancy to 10 months postpartum and completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Maternal Adjustment and Maternal Attitudes Questionnaire or the paternal equivalent.
ED psychopathology increased in mothers in both groups. Mothers in the ED group had more severe ED psychopathology, higher depression scores, and lower levels of adjustment to motherhood compared to the control group across all measurement points. No group differences emerged between partners, but ED psychopathology increased in partners of women with ED history over time. A negative correlation between maternal ED severity and paternal adjustment was observed in the ED group.
After childbirth, mothers with ED history experienced mental health deterioration and adjustment difficulties and fathers struggled with paternal adjustment if their partner was affected by severe ED symptoms. These results emphasize the need for close monitoring and consistent care of women with ED during this vulnerable period and highlight adjustment needs of partners of severely affected women. Further qualitative approaches are needed to deepen the knowledge of paternal experiences during this period.
为人父母的转变对于个人健康和伴侣关系质量而言是一个脆弱时期。本研究调查了有和没有母亲饮食失调（ED）病史的家庭产后的父母健康状况及伴侣关系。我们报告了关于父母饮食失调精神病理学、抑郁症状和适应情况的纵向数据，包括二元关联。
数据来源于前瞻性多方法队列研究EMKIE。有（n = 24）和没有（n = 33）饮食失调病史的女性及其伴侣从妊娠晚期到产后10个月参与研究，并完成了饮食失调检查问卷、患者健康问卷以及母亲适应和母亲态度问卷或与其对应的父亲问卷。
两组母亲的饮食失调精神病理学都有所增加。在所有测量点，与对照组相比，饮食失调组的母亲有更严重的饮食失调精神病理学、更高的抑郁评分以及更低的为人母适应水平。伴侣之间未出现组间差异，但有饮食失调病史女性的伴侣的饮食失调精神病理学随时间增加。在饮食失调组中，观察到母亲饮食失调严重程度与父亲适应之间呈负相关。
产后，有饮食失调病史的母亲经历了心理健康恶化和适应困难，如果伴侣受到严重饮食失调症状影响，父亲在为人父的适应方面也会面临困难。这些结果强调了在这个脆弱时期对饮食失调女性进行密切监测和持续护理的必要性，并突出了受严重影响女性伴侣的适应需求。需要进一步采用定性方法来加深对这一时期父亲经历的了解。
