Stories of relationship change in parents and carers
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Stories of Relationship Change, as told by Parents and Carers of a Child or Young Person with an Eating Disorder: A Systemic Inquiry
IRAS ID
348762
Contact name
Kate Meredith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bedfordshire
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
IASR_22/23, University of Bedfordshire ethics approval given 19/11/2024
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 13 days
Research summary
This is a qualitative study of the relationship changes parents and carers experience when they have a child or young person engaged in treatment for an eating disorder. The researcher is a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist working in this area and frequently notes the isolation that families experience when a child is being treated for an eating disorder. It is widely understood that families are affected by eating disorders, but there is little research to explore what relationship changes take place for parents and carers and how these can be supported.
Participants will be invited to share their experiences in groups, individual interviews or couple interviews. They will be invited to attend a maximum of two groups or interviews, each lasting between one and two hours. All participation is optional. The researcher intends to capture a breadth of experiences of relationship change, which may include parent and carer relationships with partners, children, parents, other family members, friends, social acquaintances, colleagues, employers/employees and healthcare systems. It is hoped that this research will contribute to improved care for families in services, encourage further research in this field, and support improved understanding in communities of how families need support at these difficult times.
The researcher will use systemic inquiry, influenced by narrative inquiry and autoethnography. These methodologies aim to capture participants’ stories in rich detail.
The researcher is completing a Professional Doctorate in Systemic Practice and has been supported in partial funding by her NHS employer. The researcher receives no additional funding for the research. Participants will be recruited from the health board that the researcher works in. Local agreement from the community service and inpatient unit leads has been sought and granted.
This study is due to conclude in September 2026, when the researcher completes their doctoral studies.
REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
25/WA/0065
Date of REC Opinion
9 Apr 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion