Alexithymia and Relational Competence in intimate relationships (ERAAwC model) in parents of individuals with behavioural eating disorders
Walter Colesso, Alessandro Chinello, Sara Covili Faggioli, Luigi Enrico Zappa
Over the last few decades, literature regarding behavioural eating disorders has particularly focused
on the role of the alexithymia construct in patients and more marginally in their families. Research,
however, seems to indicate that parents and their patterns of relationship could be potential active
elements of change in the development and progression of the patient’s behavioural eating disorder.
We therefore decided to analyse in-depth the construct of alexithymia in parents of children with
behavioural eating disorders regarding their relational abilities. To achieve this aim we carried out a
pilot study on a group of parents of children with behavioural eating disorders, through the analysis of
their levels of alexithymia (measured using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale – TAS-20) and their Relational
Competence (RC), defined using the ERAAwC – Information Processing model of the theory of Relational
Competence (assessed using the Relational Answer Questionnaire, RAQ-43). 24 parents of children with
behavioural eating disorders and 21 parents belonging to a control group were involved.
2 (mother-father) x 2 (test group-control group) factorial analyses of variance were performed on the
measures recorded as well as correlational analysis within the two groups of parents, the test group
and the control group. Results obtained support the theory of significant differences between the
two groups of parents in scores of alexithymia and Relational Competence in managing emotions in
interpersonal relationships.
Keywords
Alexithymia, Behavioural eating disorders, Anorexia, Bulimia, Relationships,
Family.
