Table 1 Results

1: Expectations and evaluation of needs. Entering treatment from different vantage points

Subtheme 1: “We needed a time-out”: parents appreciating the admission as a much needed restart for the family – parents (N = 14)

Subtheme 2: From opposition to realizing that “something had to happen” – patients (N = 8)

Subtheme 3: The admission arriving as a surprise – siblings (N = 8)

2: Interactions with peers during the admission as highly beneficial or problematic

Subtheme 1: Sharing, learning and recognition of oneself in the other – parents (N = 14) and siblings (N = 5)

Subtheme 2: Peer interactions as problematic: heightened pressure and symptom contagion – patients (N = 6) and parents (N = 2)

3: Perspectives on staff expertise and the EDU structure

Subtheme 1: Improved understanding of ED and insight into the young patients challenges – parents (N = 14) and siblings (N = 7)

Subtheme 2: Strengthening parental authority and re-establishing normalized meal routines – parents (N = 9)

Subtheme 3: Enabling necessary weight gain – parents (N = 8), patients (N = 3) and siblings (N = 4)

Subtheme 4: The unintended potential of treatment keeping parents in a bystander position – parents (N = 5)

4: Influencing within-family relationships in different ways

Subtheme 1: Strengthening within family relationships – siblings (N = 5), parents (N = 10) and patients (N = 6)

Subtheme 2: The potential of maintaining or increasing fragmentation – siblings (N = 5) and parents (N = 4)

5: Being admitted is at best only half the job: reflections on leaving the EDU

Subtheme 1: Leaving the EDU while the ED is still on board – parents (N = 10) and patients (N = 4)

Subtheme 2: Being transferred back to where it did not work out in the first place – parents (N = 8) and patients (N = 5)

Subtheme 3: For siblings, leaving the EDU meant leaving treatment for good: calling for better sibling involvement – siblings (N = 8) and parents (N = 10)