Anxiety Disorders and Stress Q 13
The psychoanalytic theory explains the etiology of anorexia nervosa as:
A. The achievement of secondary gain through control of eating.
B. A conflict between mother and child over separation and individualization.
C. Family dynamics that lead to enmeshment of members.
D. The incorporation of thinness as an ideal body image.
Correct Answer: B. A conflict between mother and child over separation and individualization.
According to psychoanalytic theory, early mother-child dynamics lead to difficulty with a child establishing a sense of separateness from the mother. Control of eating becomes one area in which the child establishes a sense of independence. Anorexia nervosa is an expression of ego-defective development arising from varying degrees of failure to resolve the process of developing a sense of individuality. There result primitive aggression, archaic guilt, and great difficulties in establishing an integrated sense of sexual identity.
Option A: This is the behavioral view of anorexia nervosa. For disorders that belong in the Behavioral Perspective, the behavior shown by the patient is the cardinal abnormality, whether it is the behavior of self-starving, purging, alcohol consumption, dysfunctional sexual behavior, or other actions. A psychiatrically abnormal behavior is required. Absent the behavior, absent the disorder.
Option C: This reflects the family theory view of anorexia nervosa, which deals with the issue of lack of generational boundaries. Family systems theory views anorexia nervosa not only as a product of dysfunctional transactional patterns within a family, but also as a crucial stabilizing element within the family. With regard to family factors, recent studies have found associations between the difficulties of adolescents with EDs and family functioning, but no study, to our best knowledge, has investigated the impact of family psychopathological profiles on the adolescents’ psychopathological symptoms, differentiating for different types of EDs, during adolescence.
Option D: This characterizes the sociocultural view of anorexia nervosa, which identifies thinness as being a culturally determined ideal. According to the sociocultural model, internalization of the thin ideal leads to body dissatisfaction and subsequent negative affect and dieting behaviors which increase the risk for eating disorder development.