Family functioning and quality of life in adolescent women with eating disorders

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between family functioning and quality of life in adolescent women with a diagnosis of Eating Disorder (ED). The participants were 20 adolescents between 13 and 18 years of age from the region of Araucanía (Chile), who were assessed using the Family Cohesion and Adaptability Assessment Scale (FACES20-Esp) and the KIDSCREEN-27 Quality of Life Questionnaire for children and adolescents. It was found that both cohesion and family adaptability had very significant relationships with total quality of life and with four of its five dimensions. These results would indicate that the perception of a family that is cohesive and that can adapt to the requirements would be a very important factor for the quality of life and the well-being of the adolescents with ED.