The effects of parenting styles on eating concerns in patients with eating disorders: the mediating role of self-compassion.

BACKGROUND

Eating concerns are core symptoms of eating disorders (EDs). Attachment theory assists in understanding the underlying psychological mechanisms behind eating concerns and suggests that the relationship between eating concerns and parenting styles may be connected through patients' self-compassion. Consequently, the present study aims to investigate the relationship between parenting styles and eating concerns, along with the mediating role of self-compassion.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study enrolled 177 female patients diagnosed with EDs. Eating concerns were assessed via the Eating Concerns subscale of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire 6.0 (EDE-Q 6.0). Parenting styles were evaluated via the short-form Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran for Chinese (s-EMBU-C). Self-compassion was measured via the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). Spearman correlation analysis explored relationships among the dimensions of maternal and paternal parenting styles (i.e., emotional warmth, rejection, overprotection), self-compassion, and eating concerns. Based on these results, mediation analysis was conducted, with self-compassion as mediator.

RESULTS

Correlation analysis indicated eating concerns positively correlated with paternal overprotection. For maternal parenting styles, eating concerns positively correlated with rejection and overprotection, but negatively with emotional warmth. Eating concerns negatively correlated with self-compassion. Mediation analysis revealed that self-compassion fully mediated the relationships between eating concerns and four specific parenting styles: paternal overprotection, maternal rejection, maternal overprotection, and maternal emotional warmth.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate distinct associations between maternal and paternal parenting styles and eating concerns, with self-compassion functioning as a full mediator. These findings may expand understanding of links between early attachment-related experiences and EDs by clarifying parental roles and identifying self-compassion as a explanatory factor, highlighting value in addressing these via family-based therapy and fostering self-compassion in ED interventions.