Abstract
The current study aimed to explore the personal meaning of eating difficulties. Eight women with a variety of eating issues were interviewed. These conversations were then analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to construct a framework for understanding the personal world of the interviewees. Three overarching themes identified in participants' accounts of their experiences are reported here: the experience of the eating difficulties as functional; negative effects of having eating difficulties; ambivalence towards the eating difficulties. These themes add to our knowledge of the potential role of personal experiences in the aetiology and maintenance of eating difficulties.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 116-125 |
| Journal | Journal of Health Psychology |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 23 Aug 2010 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2011 |
Keywords
- eating disorders
- experience
- Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
- phenomenology
- youth