Factors related to motivation for change in adolescents with eating disorders.

Objective: To examine the association between motivation for change and eating disorder symptom severity, the quality of the parent-adolescent relationship and depressive symptom severity in adolescents with eating disorders.

Method: Fifty-four female adolescents with eating disorders (mean age = 15.8 years, SD = 1.6) participated in this research prior to beginning outpatient treatment. Participants completed the Motivational Stages of Change for Adolescents Recovering from an Eating Disorder, the Eating Disorders Inventory-2, the Relations with Parents scale from the Behavioral Assessment System for Children and Adolescents Self-report and the Child Depression Inventory.

Results: Greater motivation for change was associated with less body dissatisfaction, more adaptive parent-adolescent relationships and fewer depressive symptoms. The association between motivation for change and adolescents' perception of their relationship with their parents remained significant even after controlling for age, body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms.

Conclusion: Involvement of families in treatment for adolescents with eating disorders may serve to enhance their motivation to recover.