The role of the parents in the family therapy of children and adolescents suffering from eating disorders

The role attributed to parents in the aetiology and treatment of eating disorders has significantly evolved since the end of the 19th century. Formerly viewed as responsible for their child’s eating disorder and either dismissed from participation in treatment or invited to resolve personal or relational deficiencies, parents are currently considered as part of the solution and placed in the role of therapeutic partners in family therapy. Specific forms of evidence-based family therapy have emerged (Maudsley Approach and Family-Based Treatment) that strongly mobilize parents as active agents of change and support them in taking charge of improving eating symptomatology. The strengths and limits of this model are discussed and a more flexible and integrative model of family therapy (Robert Debre Model) is proposed as a possible alternative. A case example illustrates some aspects of the practical applications of this model.