Nurture: A Program for Mothers With Histories of Disordered Eating

Mothers who have struggled with disordered eating or body image struggles are often concerned how best to provide proper nutrition to their child and/or model healthy eating behavior. We have developed a curriculum that provides information about how to establish healthy eating patterns and social support for mothers with children under three years of age. The curriculum will be delivered in a support group format led by co-therapists affiliated with the UNC Eating Disorder Program.

Inclusion criteria

• Has met lifetime DSM-IV criteria for anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), or eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS: including subthreshold AN, BN, and purging disorder, but excluding BED)
• BMI > 18.5 maintained for at least three months
• Has not met threshold criteria for AN or BN in the previous 28 days according to the Eating Disorders Examination, although subthreshold status or active residual symptomatology will not preclude entry
• Age 18 or older
• Has a child between the ages of 1 month and 2 years, 12 months old

Exclusion criteria

• Alcohol or drug dependence in the past year
• Current significant suicidal ideation reported during the assessment or on the BDI-II at baseline
• Developmental disability that would impair the ability of the participant to benefit from the intervention
• Psychosis, including schizophrenia, or bipolar I disorder
• Any families who have been the subject of social service inquiries