Attachment styles and anorexia nervosa: a literature review

Anorexia nervosa affects about 1.8 million women in the United States of America. Aside from the direct effects of the disorder, which includes detrimental weight loss, there are a number of related physical effects that are strongly correlated, some of which can be fatal (Birmingham & Treasure, 2010). Research on the etiologies of the disorder has indicated numerous factors ranging from neurobiological to psychological to social. In this paper we focus on the link between parent-child attachment styles and anorexia nervosa. In particular, parental care, connectedness, and control are examined. We also explore the mediating variables (e.g., core beliefs and defense styles) between this link Lastly, we discuss future research directions, such as the examination of under-studied anorexic populations of male athletes