Family systems theory - Psychological explanation

Minuchin and his colleagues developed a psychodynamic theory of AN, which focuses on the role of the family as a complex social system. 

Because AN affects females more than males, family system theory (FST) focuses on the relationship between mother and daughter.

Dysfunctional families are labelled as psychosomatic. 

Enmeshment

• Dysfunctional interactions between family members, inhibiting each member's sense of individuality. 
• There is not enough flexibility to allow children to develop a sense of self.
• There are poorly defined roles and a lack of leadership.
• Families spend a lot of time together, to the exclusion of others. 
• Eg. being overprotective, preventing independence. 
• A way to exert independence in adolescence is by refusing to eat. 

Autonomy

• Our experience of freedom in deciding how we should behave, and the degree of indeprndence from others. 
• In non-enmeashed families, an individual reasches adolescence their family is able to change its transnational patterns in such a way that allows increased age-appropriate autonomy. 
• Enmeshed families insist on retaining the accustomed patterns of transaction, denying any need for change. 
• Lack of autonomy will manifest itself as distortions of body image, misperceptions of internal states and a…