Eating Disorders Symptom Impact Scale for Carers
Author Information
Author(s): Ana R Sepulveda, Jenna Whitney, Matthew Hankins, Janet Treasure
Primary Institution: King's College of London, Institute of Psychiatry
Hypothesis
The study aimed to develop a measure to assess the specific caregiving burden of both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
Conclusion
The EDSIS instrument has good psychometric properties and may be of value to assess the impact of eating disorder symptoms on family members.
Supporting Evidence
- The EDSIS scale derived four factors: nutrition, guilt, dysregulated behaviour, and social isolation.
- The scale explained 58.4% of the variance in carer distress.
- The EDSIS showed sensitivity to change following a skills training workshop.
Takeaway
This study created a new tool to help families understand how caring for someone with an eating disorder affects their lives.
Methodology
A cross-sectional study was conducted among carers of relatives with an eating disorder to examine the properties of the new scale.
Potential Biases
Carers were recruited from a volunteer database, which may limit generalizability.
Limitations
The results require replication with a larger and more diverse sample, and the study did not assess test-retest reliability.
Participant Demographics
190 carers, 73.2% female, mean age 51.1 years; patients were 93% female, mean age 23.5 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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