Eating Disorders and Therapist Emotional Responses

J Nerv Ment Dis. 2015 Nov;203(11):843-9. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000379.

Abstract

The aims of this study were to identify (a) patterns of clinicians' emotional responses to patients with eating disorders (ED); (b) patient, clinician, and treatment variables associated with therapist emotional responses; and (c) the influence of patient personality on therapist emotional responses. A random national sample of psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapists (N = 149) was asked to examine one patient (>18 years old) with an ED. Clinicians completed the SWAP-200, the Therapist Response Questionnaire, and the Clinical Questionnaire-Eating Disorder Form to provide general information about themselves, patients, and therapies. Results suggested a therapist pattern of emotional response in relation to different ED diagnosis and indicated meaningful influence of therapist experience and patient variables (such as sexual abuse, dissociative symptoms, and self-harm) on therapist emotional reactions. Finally, regression analysis suggested that therapist responses are more related to patient personality than ED symptoms. This study confirms the importance of patient personality in evoking specific therapists' reactions.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Emotions*
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / diagnosis
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / psychology*
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / therapy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Professional-Patient Relations*
  • Psychotherapy / methods*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult