The Authoritarian Parenting Behavior and Eating Disorders in Adult Women: The Multiple Mediating Effects of Eating Disorder Beliefs and Maladaptive Schema Modes

This study aimed to investigate the multiple mediating effects of eating disorder beliefs and maladaptive schema modes on the relationship between authoritarian parenting behaviors and eating disorders. To this end, data were collected from 269 women with eating disorders in their 20s, who were selected through a panel survey by a specialized survey agency, and the data were analyzed through structural equation modeling. The results showed that the sequential dual mediation effect of eating disorder beliefs and the vulnerable child mode was significant in the relationship between maternal and paternal authoritarian parenting behaviors and eating disorders. Furthermore, the result showed a dual mediation effect of eating disorder beliefs and maladaptive schema modes (detached self-soother, helpless surrender, and eating disorder-overcontroller). In addition, differences were found between mothers and fathers in the mediating effects of eating disorder beliefs and maladaptive schema modes in the relationship between authoritarian parenting behavior and eating disorders. In conclusion, this study provides a theoretical foundation for psychotherapeutic interventions for eating disorders by identifying the role of eating disorder schema modes as a psychological mechanism through which authoritarian childhood parenting behaviors lead to eating disorders. The implications of these findings for eating disorder counseling are discussed.