Family dysfunction and bulimic psychopathology: The mediating role of shame

OBJECTIVE: Although disturbed family function has some association with bulimic psychopathology, the psychological mechanisms that account for that link are not clear. This study explores the hypothesis that shame acts as a mediator in that relationship, whereas shame-proneness is a moderator variable. METHOD: The participants were 139 nonclinical women. Each completed measures of perceived family function, shame-proneness, internalized shame, and bulimic psychopathology. Regression analyses were used to test for the mediating and moderating effects of shame. RESULTS: The findings were compatible with a model where shame-proneness acts as a moderator and internalized shame is a perfect mediator in the link between paternal overprotection and bulimic attitudes. CONCLUSIONS: The experience of shame appears to be a critical element in understanding the relationship between perceived family dysfunction and bulimic psychopathology. Where individuals perceive their families as problematic, it may be clinically valuable to focus on shame as a psychological consequence of that experience.