Parental reflective functioning and executive functioning in mothers with substance use disorder.

Having a substance use disorder (SUD) may adversely affect caregiving capacities. Reflective functioning (RF) and executive functioning (EF) are both important capacities for sensitive parenting, and are often impaired in a SUD. Only a few studies have explored the possible association between the two phenomena. In this study, we used a neuropsychological test battery to assess EF, and the Parent Development Interview to assess RF in a sample of mothers with a SUD (N = 43). Although parental RF (PRF) was associated with EF, when controlled for intelligence (IQ) and mental health, there was no significant association between EF and PRF. Mental health, however, showed a significant negative association with PRF. Splitting the group in two based on PRF level, mothers with a negative to low PRF exhibited more severe difficulties in SUD-related aspects, as well as in several EF components, compared to mothers with an adequate to high PRF, highlighting the association between EF and PRF. The results from this study contribute to enhance our understanding of the dynamics underlying vulnerability in PRF that mothers with small children may experience. We suggest EF to be a prerequisite for adequate PRF, and for interventions to be customized accordingly regarding parents with a SUD.

Four Pathways to Anorexia Nervosa: Patients' Perspective on the Emergence of AN.

INTRODUCTION: Studies show that patients' perception of their illness has a direct influence both on their utilization of health services and their adherence to treatment plans. This may be particularly relevant to the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa (AN). Previous studies on AN have typically explored single psycho-social factors that patients with AN relate to the emergence of their illness. There is a need for more coherent systematic descriptions of the complexity of the patients' narratives about how their illness emerged. In this study, we sought to identify common components in the participants' narratives. By identifying different combinations of these components in the narratives, we sought to describe differences in patients' perceived pathways to AN. METHODS: Participants were 36 women aged 18-51 years who had been treated for AN within the past 2 years at five clinical institutions in Norway. Semi-open qualitative interviews were conducted, tape-recorded, transcribed and analysed using grounded theory techniques. RESULTS: We identified the following four distinct perceived pathways into AN: 'The Avoidant', 'The Achiever', 'The Transformer' and 'The Punisher'. The pathways could be regarded as four different projects for mastering life's challenges. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that there seem to be at least four pathways into AN. This indicates that a common array of symptoms might cover very different psychological dynamics. These might need to be treated therapeutically in different ways and should probably be taken into account during the refinement of diagnostic tools. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. KEY PRACTITIONER MESSAGE: Although patients with AN might present similar symptoms, patients' perspectives on the emergence of their problems indicate that a common array of symptoms cover a variety of subjective psychological dynamics. From the experienced patient's stance, there are at least four distinct pathways to the emergence of AN. Attempts to master the challenges of life were found to be a common denominator in the emergence of AN. Recognition and integration of the patient's understanding of her or his problems should be given high priority in treatment of AN.

The process of help-seeking in anorexia nervosa: patients' perspective of first contact with health services.

In this study we explored circumstances, reflections, and reactions to first treatment contact in 34 women (aged 18-51) diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN) (DSM-IV). Using methods from grounded theory we identified how the meeting came about, what motivated the patients, and how they reacted to the conversation. The results suggest that (a) health care professionals need to demonstrate effective professional communication skills and proficient knowledge about eating disorders in early contacts; (b) treatment goals other than recovery from AN should be explored; and

A Serious Game for Patients With Eating Disorders (Maze Out): Pilot User Experience and Acceptance Study.

BACKGROUND: Eating disorders (EDs) are severe mental disorders associated with notable impairments in the quality of life. Despite the severity of the disorders and extensive research in the field, effective treatment for EDs is lacking. Digital interventions are gaining an evidence-based position in mental health, providing new perspectives in psychiatric treatment. Maze Out is a serious game coproduced by patients and therapists that focuses on supporting patients with EDs. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of engaging in and acceptability of Maze Out among patients with EDs and therapists. METHODS: This study is a qualitative pilot study involving data collected through focus groups and individual interviews and user analytics collected through the game. The participants were recruited from the Odense Mental Health Service of the Region of Southern Denmark. Qualitative interviews analyzed by thematical analysis and interpreted by interpretative phenomenological analysis were used to evaluate the acceptance and experience of Maze Out among patients and therapists. The mobile health evidence reporting and assessment checklist was used to describe the content, context, and technical features of the game in a standardized manner for mobile health apps. RESULTS: The participants found Maze Out to be engaging, easy to use, and a good platform for reflecting on their disorder. They primarily used Maze Out as a conversational tool with their close relationships, giving them insights into the experiences and daily life struggles of someone with EDs. CONCLUSIONS: Maze Out seems to be a promising tool supplementing the current ED treatment. Further research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of the game and its potential to support patients with different types of EDs.

IVF-induced pregnancy and early motherhood among women with a history of severe eating disorders.

Background: There is a higher prevalence of eating disorders among women seeking in vitro fertilization (IVF). Women with a history of eating disorders may be particularly vulnerable to eating disorder relapse during IVF, pregnancy, and early motherhood. The experience of these women during this process has hardly been studied scientifically, despite its high clinical relevance. The overall aim of this study is to describe how women with a history of eating disorders experience the process of becoming a mother through IVF, pregnancy, and the postpartum period. Methods: We recruited women with a history of severe anorexia nervosa who had undergone IVF (n = 7) at public family health centers in Norway. Semi-openly, the participants were interviewed extensively first during pregnancy, and then 6 months after birth. The 14 narratives were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analyses (IPA). All participants were required to complete the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and were diagnosed (DSM-5) by using the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), during both pregnancy and postpartum. Results: All participants experienced a relapse of an eating disorder during IVF. They perceived IVF, pregnancy, and early motherhood to be overwhelming, confusing, a source of severe loss of control, and a source of body alienation. There were four core phenomena that were reported that were strikingly similar across all participants: "anxiousness and fear," "shame and guilt," "sexual maladjustment," and "non-disclosure of eating problems." These phenomena persisted continuously throughout IVF, pregnancy, and motherhood. Conclusion: Women with a history of severe eating disorders are highly susceptible to relapse when undergoing IVF, pregnancy, and early motherhood. The process of IVF is experienced as extremely demanding and provoking. There is evidence that eating problems, purging, over-exercising, anxiousness and fear, shame and guilt, sexual maladjustment, and non-disclosure of eating problems continue throughout IVF, pregnancy, and the early years of motherhood. Therefore, it is necessary for healthcare workers providing services to women undergoing IVF to be attentive and intervene when they suspect a history of eating disorders.

Trajectories of severe eating disorders through pregnancy and early motherhood.

Background: During pregnancy and early motherhood, risks of relapse and worsening are high for women with a history of eating disorders (EDs), as are adverse sequelae for their babies. However, systematic descriptions of the processes that these women undergo through pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood are lacking, as are good descriptions of the various trajectories these women follow through pregnancy and early motherhood. This study addresses both these knowledge gaps. Methods: We used a longitudinal research interview design, recruiting a non-clinical sample of 24 women with a history of severe EDs from routine pregnancy controls in five public, local, family health care centers in Norway. The participants were interviewed twice, first during pregnancy and then 4-6 months after delivery. Data were analyzed according to grounded theory. The focus was on modeling the trajectories of EDs through pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood. All the participants were diagnosed (DSM-5) using the Eating Disorder Examination and then completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire. Results: Five perceived trajectories through pregnancy and early motherhood were identified: "The mastering mother," in which an ED pathology seems to be absent through pregnancy and early motherhood; "The inadequate mother," in which the ED pathology worsens before pregnancy, through pregnancy, and early motherhood; "The overwhelmed mother," in which the ED worsens during pregnancy and early motherhood; "The depressed mother," in which the ED is put on hold during pregnancy, but worsens in early motherhood; and "The succeeding mother," in which the ED worsens during pregnancy, but reduces in early motherhood. Discussion: ED trajectories through pregnancy and early motherhood vary greatly among women with a history of EDs. This may indicate different psychological dynamics through these phases. A model with five trajectories captures a large degree of the variation. The model may help clinicians' preparedness when dealing with these patients.

Preferred therapist characteristics in treatment of anorexia nervosa: the patient's perspective.

OBJECTIVE: Previous research in eating disorders suggests that treatment satisfaction is closely related to the manner in which care is delivered. The present research is a systematic in depth study of health professional characteristics preferred by AN-patients. METHOD: Thirty-eight women with AN aged 18-51 were interviewed in depth using a phenomenological study design. Interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the QSR-NVivo7 software program. RESULTS: Four factors associated with patients' satisfaction with their therapists were identified: "acceptance," "vitality," "challenge," and "expertise." Patients' responses suggested that treatment of AN requires therapists who are capable of using a complex set of behaviors when interacting with their patients. DISCUSSION: There is accumulating evidence that across treatment modality, the manner in which treatment is delivered is critical to therapeutic change. Our findings increase the understanding of factors that may be associated with treatment retention, further help seeking, and overall treatment outcome. These exploratory and informant-centered results could guide clinicians in developing a strong therapeutic alliance with AN-patients and promote increased knowledge about the mechanisms that engage this population.

Improving diabetes care for young people with type 1 diabetes through visual learning on mobile phones: mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Only 17% of Norwegian children and adolescents with diabetes achieve international treatment goals measured by glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)). Classic patient-physician consultations seem to be poorly adapted to young children. New strategies that are better attuned to young people to improve support of adolescents' self-management of diabetes need to be tested and evaluated. OBJECTIVE: (1) To explore how applications for mobile phones can be used in follow-up of adolescents with type 1 diabetes, and (2) to use the findings to guide further development of the applications and as a basis for future studies. METHOD: We pilot tested two mobile phone applications: (1) an application that contained a picture-based diabetes diary to record physical activity and photos taken with the phone camera of food eaten, where the phone also communicated with the glucometer by Bluetooth technology to capture blood glucose values, and (2) a Web-based, password-secured and encrypted short message service (SMS), based on access using login passwords received via SMS to be used by participants to send messages to their providers when they faced obstacles in everyday life, and to send educational messages to the participants. At the end of the 3-month pilot study, 12 participants (7 girls and 5 boys ) aged 13-19 years completed semistructured interviews. The participants had a mean HbA(1c )value of 8.3 (SD 0.3), mean age of 16.2 (SD 1.7) years, mean body mass index of 23.3 (SD 3.2) kg/m(2), and mean diabetes duration of 7.5 (SD 4.6) years. We applied three additional measurements: change in metabolic control as measured by HbA(1c), the System Usability Scale, and diabetes knowledge. RESULTS: From the interviews, three main categories emerged: visualization, access, and software changes. Participants appreciated the picture-based diary more than the SMS solution. Visualization of cornerstones in diabetes self-care (ie, diet, insulin dosage, physical activity, and pre- and postprandial glucose measurements all transformed into one picture) in the mobile diary was found to be an important educational tool through reflections in action. This led to a change in participants' applied knowledge about the management of their disease. Additional measurements supplemented and supported the qualitative findings. However, changes in HbA(1c )and participants' theoretical knowledge as tested by a 27-item questionnaire, based on a national health informatics' diabetes quiz, before and after the intervention were not statistically significant (P = .38 and P = .82, respectively, paired-samples t test). Participants suggested additional functionality, and we will implement this in the design of the next software generation. CONCLUSION: Participants reported an increased understanding of applied knowledge, which seem to positively affect diabetes self-care. Visual impressions seem well adapted to the maturation of the adolescent brain, facilitating the link between theoretical knowledge and executive functions. SMS gave the adolescents a feeling of increased access and security. Participants gave valuable input for further development of these applications.

The link between negative emotions and eating disorder behaviour in patients with anorexia nervosa.

BACKGROUND: Several theoretical models suggest that deficits in emotional regulation are central in the maintenance of anorexia nervosa (AN). Few studies have examined how patients view the relationship between negative affect and anorectic behaviour. We explored how patients with AN manage the aversive emotions sadness, anger, fear and disgust, and how they link these experiences to their eating disorder behaviours. METHODS: Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 14 women aged 19-39 years diagnosed with AN (DSM-IV). Interviews were analyzed using Grounded Theory methods. RESULTS: The participants tended to inhibit expression of sadness and anger in interpersonal situations and reported high levels of anger towards themselves, self-disgust and fear of becoming fat. Different emotions were managed by means of specific eating disorder behaviours. Sadness was particularly linked to body dissatisfaction and was managed through restrictive eating and purging. Anger was avoided by means of restrictive eating and purging and released through anorectic self-control, self-harm and exercising. Fear was linked to fear of fatness and was managed through restrictive eating, purging and body checking. Participants avoided the feeling of disgust by avoiding food and body focused situations. CONCLUSION: Treatment models of eating disorders highlight the significance of working with emotional acceptance and coping in this patient group. Knowledge about how patients understand the relationships between their negative emotions and their anorectic behaviour may be an important addition to treatment programmes for AN.

Reluctance to recover in anorexia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: Reluctance to recover may explain poor treatment outcome and high dropout and relapse rates in the treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN). This study systematically explored what AN patients describe as interfering with their wish to recover. METHOD: Two independent samples of women with AN (total N = 36) were interviewed in-depth using a phenomenological study design. Interviews were tape recorded, transcribed and analysed using QSR-NVivo7 (QSR International, Melbourne, Australia) software. RESULTS: Seven core obstacles were found to interfere with informants' wish to recover as follows: (i) 'perceiving judgements'; (ii) 'feeling stuck'; (iii) 'feeling distressed'; (iv) 'denying AN'; (v) 'eating'; (vi) 'gaining weight'; and (vii) 'appreciating the benefits'. CONCLUSION: The wish to recover is an autonomously based, fundamental motivational requirement for becoming ready to change. Understanding factors that contribute to this wish adds to the clinician's toolbox in motivational work with AN patients.

Fluctuations of body images in anorexia nervosa: patients' perception of contextual triggers.

UNLABELLED: Body image disturbance is a central diagnostic criterion of anorexia nervosa (AN). To a great extent, previous studies have conceptualized body image disturbance as a relatively stable and trait-like characteristic of the patient. There is, however, growing evidence that body images fluctuate in different situations and contexts. The aim of the present study was to explore which everyday contexts that patients with AN themselves associate with fluctuations in body image. Thirty-two women (20-35 years) who had been diagnosed with AN (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) within the last year participated. Semi-open and focused qualitative interviews were conducted, transcribed and analyzed using Grounded Theory techniques. The results suggest that body image is a dynamic phenomenon that may fluctuate in different situations and contexts. The participants linked such fluctuations to their own uncertainty about their real appearance. In lack of a stable and integrated experience of their own body, they were extremely sensitive towards body image threats and challenges in their daily life and reacted to these situations by fluctuations in their body image. Four contextual cues were found to trigger such changes in body image: these were eating food, being reminded of one's body appearance, relating to one's own emotional signals and interpreting other people's expressed and unexpressed opinions about oneself and one's appearance. Clinical and theoretical implications are discussed. KEY PRACTITIONER MESSAGE: Individuals with anorexia nervosa may have quite varied body image experiences in different contexts. The contexts identified in this study may be a point of departure for clinicians in helping their patients to explore their subjective body image experiences and to connect these with emotional, cognitive and relational contexts in a psychologically meaningfully way.

Bodies out of control: Relapse and worsening of eating disorders in pregnancy.

Background: Being pregnant is a vulnerable period for women with a history of eating disorders. A central issue in eating disorders is searching control of one's body and food preferences. Pregnancy implies being increasingly out of control of this. Treatment and targeted prevention start with the patient's experience. Little is known about how women with a history of eating disorder experience being pregnant. Method: We interviewed 24 women with a history of eating disorder at the time of pregnancy, recruited from five public pregnancy controls at local family health centers in Norway. Interviews were analyzed by means of ideal type analysis, with a particular focus on how the participants experienced pregnancy and perceived triggers in possible experiences of relapse or worsening during pregnancy. All participants completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and were diagnosed (DSM-5) by using the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE). Results: On becoming pregnant, 23 of the 24 participants experienced worsening or relapse of their disorder. This occurred both at first time and after several pregnancies, and either interviewed early or late in pregnancy. Ideal type analyses indicated seven different personal features associated with worsening or relapse: the "chaotic" "rigid" "perfect" "worried" "shameful" "motherhood fearing" and "the mother with lost identity" Perceived triggers of worsening or relapse were: "loss of control" "unpredictability" "competition" "change of appearance" "shame and nausea" and "loss of identity." Conclusion: Pregnancy is a vulnerable period for women with a history of eating disorders. A great variation in personal psychological dynamics seems to interact with perceived triggers in worsening or relapse of eating disorder. Our findings have important implications in understanding mechanisms of relapse in pregnancy, preventing relapse and help tailoring adequate intervention.

The concept of body image disturbance in anorexia nervosa: an empirical inquiry utilizing patients' subjective experiences.

We explored the concept body image disturbance (BID) by utilizing the subjective experience of 32 women (aged 20-39 years) diagnosed with AN (DSM-V). Using methods from Grounded Theory we identified four phenotypes of BID-"Integration," "Denial," "Dissociation," and "Delusion"-which differed according to whether the patients overestimated their own body size ("Subjective reality"), and whether they acknowledged the objective truth that they were underweight ("Objective reality"). The results suggest that BID should be conceptualized as a dynamic failure to integrate subjective experiences of one's own body appearance with an objective appraisal of the body. Conceptual, diagnostic and clinical implications are discussed.

Feelings of insecurity: review of attachment and eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Attachment theory has received increasing attention from clinicians and researchers in the field of eating disorders. This paper is an updated review on theoretical approaches in the field, and of studies employing the Adult Attachment Interview. METHOD: We searched the major databases such as PsycInfo and Science Direct for empirical and theoretical studies on attachment and eating disorders, and these are reviewed. RESULTS: Theoretical approaches on attachment and eating disorders highlight either retrospective, general risk or attachment theoretical statements. There is greater prevalence of insecure attachment in the eating disordered population than in non-clinical samples. However, there is no sufficient evidence to conclude about specific mechanisms for this connection. DISCUSSION: The theoretical approaches vary in their theoretical grounding, specificity and empirical support. AAI-based research on attachment and eating disorders is still at an early stage. More advanced studies are required for the field to move forward.

[The problem of evil in families--the filmmaker Michael Haneke]. / Det ondes familieproblem--filmskaperen Michael Haneke.

With the beautiful and dark film "The white ribbon", from 2009, the Austrian film director Michael Haneke consolidated his status as an international success. A central theme in his films is evilness and its roots. But just as important is his ambition to develop films where evil is not only portrayed, but where spectators are challenged to relate to their own ethical standards and their role as spectators. Haneke is a highly original filmmaker with his consistent search for a film aesthetic that stimulates ethical self-reflection and mentalizing. He partly succeeds in this quest.

Bruch revisited and revised.

The aim of this text is to remind the clinical and scientific field of eating disorders of the seminal figure Hilde Bruch. Her work is highly original, but is it sinking into the mists of oblivion? The contemporary overemphasis on cognitive behavioural therapy may indicate that. Hilde Bruch's contribution was a descriptive and theoretical model defining anorexia nervosa and severe eating disorders as self-disorders, with emphasis on developmental deficits in the organisation of the psychological self. A limited focus on cognitions may undermine both the awareness of central aspects of the psychopathology of eating disorders, as well as the relevance of sensitively regulating the psychotherapeutic stance.

[The painful light--portraits of awakeness and melancholy by painter Edward Hopper]. / Det vonde lyset--våkenhet og melankoli hos maleren Edward Hopper.

Depression was a recurrent phenomenon in the life of the American painter Edward Hopper (1882-1967). He is known as one of the artists who portrays modern melancholy most convincingly. The article uses his original artwork to reflect upon sleep, awakeness and melancholy. Hopper brings nightmares into the day and the light, and insomnia into the revealing morning sun.

[Zero hour--the poet Dorothy Parker and insomnia]. / Nulltimen--poeten Dorothy Parker og søvnløshet.

Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) was an American poet and author, known for her wicked wittiness, tender verses and sharp eye for the foibles of modern urban humans. She writes about her insomnia, and the time of day when despair is greatest and self-esteem lowest.

[Taxi driver--film portrait of the insomniac]. / Taxi Driver--filmatisk portrett av den søvnløse.

Martin Scorsese's film "Taxi Driver" from 1976 is a cinematic masterpiece. The main character cannot sleep. His condition is caused by inner restlessness and external commotion. The film shows us New York City's brutal nightlife through the distorted mind of a taxi driver.

[Self-harm in fiction literature]. / Kroppens tekster - selvskading i skjønnlitteratur.

European literature contains fictional descriptions of self-harm and self-punishment over a time span of almost 2 500 years. This article presents such descriptions, from Sofocles' tragedy about King Oedipus to contemporary literature. Particular interest is dedicated to the Austrian Nobel prize laureate Elfriede Jelinek and the Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgård. In Jelinek's fictional universe, self-harm is particularly related to the topic of autonomy in a family context; while Knausgård describes the role of shame in triggering and sustaining self-harming behaviour.