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"My Whole World Fell Apart": Parents Discovering Their Child Has Anorexia Nervosa.

Author
Abstract
:

This was the first study to examine the experience of parents who discover their child was living with anorexia nervosa (AN), thus fulfilling a critical gap in the eating disorder literature. Gadamerian hermeneutic inquiry was the guiding philosophy and method used to investigate this topic. Dialogues with parents revealed the ambiguity inherent within discovery; the isolation, betrayal, and loss felt by parents; and the complicated family dynamics occurring during the process of discovering one's child has AN. As such, when discoveries are made, parents play a vital role in the development and functioning of the family's response to the situation. This research offers health care providers a better understanding of the difficult times parents and caregivers experience when discovering their child has AN.

Year of Publication
:
2020
Journal
:
Qualitative health research
Volume
:
30
Issue
:
12
Number of Pages
:
1821-1832
ISSN Number
:
1049-7323
URL
:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1049732320939508?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3dpubmed
DOI
:
10.1177/1049732320939508
Short Title
:
Qual Health Res
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