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

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.

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Key Information

Type of Reference
Jour
Type of Work
Journal article
Publisher
Sage Publications
Publication Year
2020
Issue Number
12
Journal Titles
Qualitative Health Research
Volume Number
30
Start Page
1821
End Page
1832
Language
English