The Emotional Meaning of Life Events: A Qualitative Study of the Perspective of Patients with Eating Disorders

Positive and negative life events play a decisive role in the development, maintenance, and recovery of eating disorders (Schmidt et al., 1997). For this reason, they can be considered risk and protective factors for eating disorders. However, little is known about how these life events relate to the experience of specific emotions or feelings and their meaning from the patient’s perspective. Only recently has psychological theory begun to consider the role of emotions in eating disorders. Therefore, in this study, 18 female patients with ages ranging between 16 and 21 years with anorexia and bulimia nervosa identified their happiest and saddest life events, as well as their related emotional experiences. Text analyses were conducted using the software program QSR-N*Vivo. Findings showed that the saddest events (e.g., the death of a relative) were related to feelings of perceived lack and loss of support and selfworth, and the happiest events (e.g., the beginning of a relationship) were related to feelings of perceived social support and affection, personal valuation, a sense of family unity, autonomy and independence. In treatment programs, it is essential to enhance patient resources and increase the presence of positive emotional experiences Additionally, emotional regulatory strategies and competencies should be promoted to deal with negative emotional experiences, considering that some eating disorder behaviors may be used to moderate or suppress negative emotions related specific past or current life events.