Association between social support of mothers of patients with eating disorders, maternal mental health, and patient symptomatic severity: A cohort study

• Project/Area Number: 16K12256
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Gerontological nursing
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: Katsuki Fujika 名古屋市立大学, 大学院看護学研究科, 教授 (30361893)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 山田 敦朗 名古屋市立大学, 大学院医学研究科, 講師 (10315880) ; 白石 直 名古屋市立大学, 大学院医学研究科, 助教 (30632989)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Discontinued (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
• Keywords: 摂食障害 / 家族ケア / 家族会 / 家族システム / コホート / 家族支援 / 地域家族会 / セルフヘルプグループ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to investigate how social support of mothers who are caregivers of patients with an eating disorder affects the mothers themselves and the patients.　Fifty seven pairs of participants were recruited from four family self-help groups and one university hospital in Japan. Mothers were evaluated for social support, for self-efficacy, for loneliness, for listening attitude, for family functioning, and for depression symptoms. Patients were evaluated for loneliness, for self-esteem, for assertion, and for their symptoms.　Mothers who had high social support showed lower scores for loneliness and depression. We found no significant differences in any patient scores compared based on mother’s level of social support. Mothers’ feelings of support seem to be related to their low loneliness and depression levels, but were not associated with patients’ eating disorders symptoms, loneliness, self-esteem, or assertion.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、摂食障害患者の母親が家族会などのサポートを得ることで、家族システムの悪循環が改善され、結果的に患者の摂食障害症状改善に結びつくことを検証することを目的として行った。母親がサポートされている実感がある方が母親の精神的健康に良い影響を与えていることが示唆されたが、家族機能や患者の症状・精神的健康度などに影響を与えるという結果は得られなかった。摂食障害患者の家族は疾患の特徴から巻き込まれることが多く疲弊している。家族へのサポートが家族のメンタルヘルスの維持向上には重要であり、家族自身のうつ病予防などに役立つことが示唆された。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Brief multifamily Psychoeducation for family members of patients with chronic major depression: a randomized controlled trial. (2018)
  • Author(s): Katsuki F, Takeuchi H, Inagaki T, Maeda T, Kubota Y, Shiraishi N, Tabuse H, Kato T, Yamada A, Watanabe N, Akechi T, Furukawa TA.
  • Journal Title: BMC Psychiatry Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Pages: 207-207
  • DOI: 10.1186/s12888-018-1788-6
  • NAID: 120006779807
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Presentation] 摂食障害地域家族会の治療的要素の解明 (2019)
  • Author(s): 香月富士日，鈴木高男
  • Organizer: 日本心理教育家族教室ネットワーク第22回研究集会