A mixed-methods approach to conceptualizing friendships in anorexia nervosa.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Individuals with anorexia nervosa have reported feelings of loneliness, social anhedonia, and interpersonal difficulties. This study sought to clarify the nature of interpersonal relationships in adults with anorexia, which may help improve existing interventions while also facilitating the attainment of something that might compete with the drive for thinness: friendships.

Methods

The present study used a mixed-methods approach to investigate friendship experiences in three groups: anorexia (n = 27), participants with a history of anorexia who are weight restored (n = 20), and healthy controls (n = 24). Thematic analysis was used to isolate the most prevalent themes that emerged from an open-ended interview of experiencing friendships in a subset of participants.

SUBMITTER: Datta N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8443043 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature