A Proposed Treatment for Loss and Grief Experienced by Parents of Children with Anorexia Nervosa

Parents who have a child with anorexia nervosa often experience difficulties and distress as a result of their child's illness. Recent work has hypothesized carers' illness models based on qualitative and quantitative analyses of caregiving experiences. One relevant area that has received little attention in this modeling is grief and loss theory. We propose a revised theoretical model that incorporates this theory through a psychoeducational parent program, described here in detail. We suggest our model may augment outcomes of both parent caretakers and youth with anorexia nervosa by reducing factors of grief and loss associated with having a chronically ill child. However, extensive clinical studies are still needed.