Exploring experiences of carers of partners with a restrictive ED
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the experiences of carers of partners with a restrictive eating disorder
IRAS ID
293926
Contact name
Lucy Spencer
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 31 days
Research summary
Restrictive eating disorders are life-threatening mental disorders with substantial negative effects on physical, psychological, social and vocational functioning. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa (AN) are associated with substantial caregiver burden, (Graap, et al., 2008; Treasure et al., 2001), distress, loneliness and isolation (Kamerling & Smith, 2005), self-blame regarding the illness (Whitney, et al., 2005), and insufficient knowledge to effectively support their loved one (Graap et al., 2008; Haigh & Treasure, 2003).
For these reasons, it has been acknowledged that informal (unpaid) carers are a group who may themselves benefit from support. In order to develop effective interventions for partner-carers (as opposed to parent-carers), a greater level of understanding is needed regarding the specific experiences this population.
This study seeks to explore the lived experiences of individuals caring for a romantic partner diagnosed with a restrictive eating disorder. 6-8 romantic partners of females suffering from a restrictive eating disorder will be interviewed about the experience of caring for their partner.
Participants will be interviewed for approximately 1 hour, on a 1:1 basis with a member of the research team. Semi-structured interviews may take place face-to-face, or remotely, and will be recorded using an encrypted dictaphone, or directly onto a secure server where possible, and subsequently transcribed. Qualitative data will be analysed using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach, and anonymised during transcription.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/EM/0263
Date of REC Opinion
10 May 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion