Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to clarify a process among parents of children with eating disorders. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on 3 fathers and 11 mothers of children with eating disorders and the interview records were qualitatively and inductively analyzed. The results revealed that the adaptation process of parents consisted of the following 7 categories: “being a happy family,” “being caught in changes,” “separating from the past,” “continuing to grow,” “being poised,” “seeking information,” and “associating with medical care.” The adaptation process among parents was found to be a process incorporating the recognition of physical changes, personality changes, and changes in the daily life of children, the acceptance of such changes, and the growth of the parents themselves along with the changes of their children. During this process, the viewpoint of parents shifted from the past to the future, and from visible phenomena, such as symptoms and changes, to internal phenomena, such as emotions and feelings. Therefore, the results of the present study indicate that an individual's sense of values changes and his or her perspective expands. It was assumed that providing nursing support encouraging the adaptation process of parents facilitates the recovery of children with eating disorders.
