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Blunted Electrodermal and Psychological Response to Acute Stress in Family Caregivers of People with Eating Disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 May 2016

Nicolás Ruiz-Robledillo ,
Ángel Romero-Martínez  and
Luis Moya-Albiol
Nicolás Ruiz-Robledillo
Affiliation:
Universidad de Valencia (Spain)
Ángel Romero-Martínez
Affiliation:
Universidad de Valencia (Spain)
Luis Moya-Albiol*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Valencia (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Luis Moya-Albiol. Universidad de Valencia – Psychobiology. Valencia (Spain). E-mail: Luis.moya@uv.es
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Abstract

Caring for an offspring with an eating disorder (ED) is associated with high levels of distress, and health problems. Indeed, ED caregivers have to cope with a range of challenges related to their caring role, which represents a chronic stress situation. This tends to alter body homeostasis and caregivers’ health status. This study aimed to analyse the electrodermal reactivity and psychological response to acute stress in ED caregivers compared to non-caregivers. As expected, caregivers showed lower electrodermal (p < .001, η2partial = .269 for SCL and p < .01, η2partial = .214 for NSCRs) and psychological response (p < .05, η2partial = .198) to acute stress than non-caregivers. The findings suggest the existence of physiological adaptation to chronic stress in family caregivers of people with EDs.

Keywords

caregiverseating disorderselectrodermal activity
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 19 , 2016 , E20
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2016 

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