Psychological Disorders - Research Paper Example

? Reaction Paper One Psychological Disorders of My Initial Hypothesis When children or adolescents have abnormal eating patterns, parents are reasonably confused and bothered. Usually, these parents are unaware of the cause of this eating disorder. But one of the primary causes of children’s eating disorder is parental relationship, or whether these children are living with only one parent or both parents. Hence, my initial hypothesis is that children of single parents are more likely to develop eating disorders than children whose parents are married. This is my initial hypothesis because I have read numerous studies reporting that single-parent families and broken homes were one of the major variables influencing the development of eating disorder among children and teenagers. It is common knowledge that parenting is a huge, permanent responsibility. Although almost anybody can become a parent, the very nature of parenting is where the challenge resides. Numerous kinds of relationships are built over a person’s lifetime but it is the relationship between a parent and a child that is the most addressed and is the focus of psychological, sociological, ecological, and biological theories so as to understand its complicated nature. Parent-child relationship is constantly evolving throughout the lifecycle and influences both parent and child. Children initially learn their behavior by observing their parents and, according to what I have read from peer-reviewed journals, children living in unconventional or, shall I say, ‘dysfunctional’ family types are more likely to develop eating disorders. In fact, numerous researchers have studied the familial role in the development of eating disorder, and suggested that the impacts of parenting may be especially substantial. The Empirical Evidence It is evident that, generally, single-parent families are made up of a female breadwinner, young children, and are living in poverty. In general, poverty is widely believed to be related to higher risk of eating disorder. Single-parent families are more secluded than the traditional two-parent families. The absence of social support could be related to the development of behavioral, emotional, psychological, and physiological disorders in children (Russ & Ollendick, 1999). It has been well documented that the presence of social support from both parents usually prevents the possibility of developing eating disorders in children. It is widely believed that single-parent families confront more problems raising children than two-parent families. Moreover, according to Russ and Ollendick (1999), majority of single-parent families have greater financial difficulties. Recently, the number of single-parent families has risen considerably as the prevalence of divorce has escalated. A large number of children with eating disorders live in these single-parent families. Children from such families are roughly four times more likely to develop adverse psychological disorders, including eating disorders, than those who have both parents living together (Roberton & South, 2007). Studies show that the family backgrounds of children are as relevant as whether they are living in poverty or have poor health to the development of eating disorders. Parents affect children’s eating patterns through the kind of foods they give and their style of parenting (Roberton & South, 2007). Therefore, positive childhood experiences as regards eating are crucial to the development of healthy eating patterns. Children living in single-parent families are more likely to develop poor health because of eating disorders. The resulting poor eating habits could be accompanied by the emotional tumult that parents and children go through in divorce and separation. Generally speaking, children in single-parent families have weaker physical and psychological health than their counterparts in two-parent families (Okon, Greene, & Smith, 2003). Still, much of this disparity can be attributed to the pressure of economic difficulties. Low household income could affect children’s health in numerous ways: “lower birth weight, lower rates of breastfeeding, poor vaccination rates, poor growth, and higher rates of infectious diseases” (Roberton & South, 2007, 51). A research commissioned by the Department of Health studied eating disorders and other psychological problems among children and adolescents. The researchers discovered that roughly one in ten had eating disorders. The findings show that a child whose parents had divorced or separated was at least five times more likely to have developed eating problems than a child whose parents remained together (Roberton & South, 2007). Scholar Patricia Morgan stated (Russ & Ollendick, 1999, 324): “This does not come as a surprise, and things are going to get worse. Broken families and serial fathers produce homes full of conflict and chaos and they are terrible for children.” Adverse influences in the family could contribute to the development and perpetuation of eating disorders. A number of studies have reported specific observations about family influence. Poor parenting associated with single-parent families has been linked to the development of eating disorders in children. One research discovered that roughly 50 percent of young girls living in female-headed, single-parent households had poor eating habits (Russ & Ollendick, 1999). Moreover, disparities in household compositions could affect disparities in dietary patterns of children. Although the impact of single-parent versus two-parent families on children’s dietary patterns remains inconclusive, one may assume that single-parent families allot less time for meal preparation, in general, than do two-parent families. Anthony (1974) hypothesized that children experiencing parental divorce or separation will be at high risk of eating disorder. Lynn (1974) reported that, “The research on the relationship between father absence and the general level of the child’s adjustment reveals that the loss of a father for any reason is associated with poor adjustment, but that absence because of separation, divorce, or desertion may have especially adverse effects” (p. 29). Such findings indicate that children raised by a single parent, especially children raised by a divorced or separated parent, are at risk of eating disorder and that the source of their vulnerable condition is the number of parents in the household and the root of parental absence. These studies do not indicate that children raised by a single parent are vulnerable due to the single parent’s education or low income; and, the findings do not indicate that children raised by a single parent are at no higher vulnerability than children living in dual-parent families at similar degrees of parental social status, education, and income. Okon and colleagues (2003) employed the method of experience sampling to determine the level to which parental presence was a determinant of symptom difference in young girls diagnosed with eating disorders. The researchers discovered that family problems or pathology directly influence the development of bulimia in those children who describe their families as having poor emotional support and intense conflict. Decaluwe and Braet (2003) studied overweight children. The researchers looked at the influence of parental presence on eating disorders in normal weight and overweight subjects. For overweight children, parental absence was linked to behavioral and emotional difficulties as well as poor eating habits in these children. Several researchers have examined the relationship between eating disorders and attachment style. A quick analysis of this relationship could further explain the effect of parental absence on the development of eating disorders in children. Since the 1950s, when Bowlby began laying the groundwork of attachment theory, there have been several compelling findings associating the abnormal mother-child relationship theory with eating disorders. A number of recent studies have discovered that the nature of attachment is abnormal in groups with eating disorder, and that poor attachment is prevalent in this population (Roberton & South, 2007). Ward and Gowers (2003) have examined the correlation between childhood development and attachment, and eating disorders. These researchers claim that it is well established that relationship between parent and child plays a major role in the psychological growth of children. They claim that parental absence causes disordered relationship between parent and child, and may be attributed to the early development of eating disorders in children. My Current Opinion Findings from numerous studies discussed in this section highlight the value of interpersonal relationships and family dynamics as regards the development or maintenance of poor eating habits in children. Nevertheless, I must admit that such findings are not yet conclusive. Research on this field requires more efforts. However, due to the obvious value of family dynamics, particularly parental presence, it would be wise to take into consideration the issue of family composition in the evaluation and treatment of eating disorders in children. Taking into consideration the issue of parental presence in these processes appears particularly suitable when viewed from the perspective that family pathology contributes much to the development and maintenance of eating disorders, and that such central issue has to be dealt with in treatment. Nonetheless, the idea that parents of children with eating disorders are characterized by a higher level of psychological problem than parents of ‘normal’ children is not determined in most studies. This obvious detachment between medical facts or clinical reality on the one hand and research findings on the other emphasizes the effort that is still needed to completely and conclusively understand the effect of parental presence on the development of eating disorders in children, and how best to deal with them. Even though family issues are one of the widely established factors that contribute to the development of poor eating habits in children, the major problem in our effort to fully understand this connection is the difficulty of carrying out an experimental study where in these family issues can be controlled. Sensitive issues, like those related to the family, are difficult to subject to a purely experimental research, hence the inconclusiveness of existing findings. A lot of parents, whether single or married, fail to identify or realize that they are confronting a disorder, and a serious one. Eating disorders are not just about diet or nutrition; it is also about the emotional problems creating the abnormal behaviors. Eating disorders impinge on the relationships, emotional capability, and cognition of a child. An understanding of a child’s emotional life gives parents a very useful chance to identify and deal with emotional problems that may otherwise disrupt the child’s healthy growth and development. Whether or not the findings about the impact of single parenting on children’s eating disorders are conclusive, the most important thing to bear in mind is that parents are still the most essential factor in preventing the development of psychological, emotional, and behavioral problems in children. References Anthony, E.J. (1974). The Child and His Family: Children at Psychiatric Risk. New York: Wiley. Decaluwe, V. & Braet, C. (2003). Parental influence on eating psychopathology and psychological problems in overweight children. International Journal of Eating Disorder, 34, 9. Lynn, D.B. (1974). The father: His role in child development. California: Brooks/Cole. Okon, D.M., Greene, A.L., & Smith, J.E. (2003). Family interactions predict intra-individual symptom variation for adolescents with bulimia. International Journal of Eating Disorder, 34, 450-7. Roberton, D. & South, M. (2007). Practical Paediatrics. New York: Elsevier Health Sciences. Russ, S. & Ollendick, T. (1999). Handbook of Psychotherapies with Children and Families. New York: Springer. Ward, A. & Gowers, S. (2003). Attachment and childhood development. In J. Treasure, U. Schmidt, and E. Van Furth, Handbook of Eating Disorders. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Read More