The social construction of a multifamily group in the treatment of the eating disorders

The aim of this study was to analyze the meanings produced and negotiated by the relatives of people diagnosed with Anorexia and Bulimia who participated in a family support group. Using the Social Constructionism theoretical-methodological approach, the meanings about the family participation in group work, the social discourses that sustain such meaning constructions and their consequences to the group interaction were enlightened. When the meanings were taken as absolute truths, segregation movements among the participants were produced. However, those meanings could be revisited promoting the appearance of alternative ones, showing the negotiated and constructed character of the group space. This knowledge may contribute to a successful planning for the treatment of eating disorders.

Social constructionism; Group process; Family; Eating disorders