Burnett-Stuart, Sarah;
Serpell, Lucy;
Chua, Natalie;
Georgeaux-Healy, Chloe;
Pugh, Matthew;
(2025)
The Anorexic Voice: A Dialogical Enquiry and Thematic Analysis.
Journal of Constructivist Psychology
, 38
(3)
pp. 371-390.
10.1080/10720537.2024.2352704.
Preview |
Text
The Anorexic Voice A Dialogical Enquiry and Thematic Analysis.pdf - Published Version Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Although prevalent among those given a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (AN), the internal anorexic voice (AV) is little understood. This study aimed to explore the AV’s role in the development and maintenance of AN from a new perspective–that of the AV itself. Nine women with a diagnosis of AN participated. Data was collected via dialogical enquiry, which entailed direct, semi-structured interviews with participants’ AVs. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three themes build a picture of a symbiotic yet destructive relationship between AV and individual. Firstly, “Pragmatism” describes the AV’s supposedly invaluable, problem-solving persona. Secondly, “Relationship” depicts the valued yet fraught, unbalanced, and often unwanted bond between AV and individual. Thirdly, “Self-preservation” presents the AV’s drive to retain control for its own survival. In clinical practice, curiosity regarding relationships with AVs could highlight barriers to recovery and inform treatment. Future research should focus on diverse samples and consider ways of working with eating disorder voices to promote recovery.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Anorexic Voice: A Dialogical Enquiry and Thematic Analysis |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1080/10720537.2024.2352704 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1080/10720537.2024.2352704 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2024 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LL. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). |
| Keywords: | Anorexia nervosa, anorexic voice, chairwork, eating disorders, voice dialogue |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences > Clinical, Edu and Hlth Psychology |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10217857 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
