Parental bonding and eating disorder symptoms in adolescents: The meditating role of core beliefs

This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of early maladaptive schemas in the relationship between parental bonding and eating disorder symptoms in a group of female adolescents. Three hundred and sixty-seven female adolescents completed the Parental Bonding instrument [PBI; Brit. J. Med. Psychol. 52 (1979) 1-10], the Young Schema Questionnaire short version [YSQ; Young, J. E. (1998). The Young Schema Questionnaire: Short form. Available at http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/schema/ysqs1.htm], and the Eating Attitudes Test [EAT; Psychol. Med. 9 (1979) 273-279]. Two underlying schemas, defectiveness/shame and dependence/incompetence, were perfect mediators in the relationship between parental bonding and eating disorder symptoms. Schemas relating to both shame and dependency may be important in determining the effect that parental bonding has on eating disorder symptoms in a sample of female adolescent schoolgirls.