Abstract
This study investigated the configuration of the significant social network of a 24-year-old girl diagnosed with Compulsive-Purgative AN (AN) to articulate the participant´s perception of social support and the symptoms of her eating disorder. The methodological strategy involved a case study and the social networks approach for data analysis. Semi-structured interview, Genogram, Network Mapping and consultations to hospital records were used as instruments. The content of the interviews was transcribed in full and the collected material constituted the research corpus. The genogram and network mapping were analyzed according to recommendations from the scientific literature and to the theoretical framework used. The results showed issues in establishing emotional bonds and suffering due to perceived lack of social support from the family network. In addition, aspects of the participant’s personality dynamics resulted in emotional withdrawal and consequent social isolation, restricting the potential support of the network and leading to experiences of loneliness and helplessness. We emphasize the need for integration of social networks in healthcare in order to strengthen the social bonds of young women diagnosed with anorexia.
Keywords:
Anorexia Nervosa; Social Networks; Social Support; Clinical Case
Thumbnail
Thumbnail
