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Eating disorders (EDs) have been documented in various cultural settings. A continuous increase in ED' rates among non-Western cultures (e.g., Arab cultures and East-Asian cultures) has been reported. We aimed to investigate the relations among culture, ED symptoms, and psychological features that are highly relevant in EDs through a cultural comparison of three groups. The groups included female university students in Israel with varying levels of exposure to Westernization: 118 Jewish students, 132 Arab students studying at a mixed university with a Jewish majority, and 111 Arab students studying at Sakhnin College, a college for Arab students only. The groups differed significantly on the Conservation Value dimension from the Short Portrait Values Questionnaire. Four psychological features were examined as predictors of ED symptoms: Interoceptive-deficits, Ineffectiveness, Asceticism, and Maturity-fear. The results revealed a comparable prevalence of self-reported ED symptoms among Arabs and Jews, with a small exception for bulimic symptoms, which were less prevalent among those in the Sakhnin group, who also scored lower on Ineffectiveness and higher on asceticism than the other groups. Testing the relations between the four psychological features and ED symptoms revealed that culture played a moderating role in predicting the strength of ineffectiveness and maturity-fear. Ineffectiveness was not a predictor among the Sakhnin group, whereas maturity-fear was not a predictor in the least conservative Jewish group. Asceticism and interoceptive-deficits predicted ED symptoms across all study groups. Our findings indicate that the problem of EDs may be similar among Arab and Jewish women in Israel. Moreover, despite some similarities in the relevance of some ED-related psychological features, other features are moderated by culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study had two goals. The first was to validate and examine the potential of the Hebrew version of the Cambridge Mindreading face task (CAMHeb)—an ecological measure of emotional theory of mind (eToM)—to assess eToM in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN). The second goal was to examine whether interpersonal mistrust would mediate the relation between mentalizing and eToM and the severity of AN. Method: The validity of the CAMHeb was examined using well‐established measures of mentalizing ability and eToM in 45 young female patients with AN and 53 control participants. Next, the mediation model was assessed using a subsample of 33 AN patients and 34 controls, in which interpersonal mistrust was additionally assessed. Results: The CAMHeb correlated with the measures of mentalizing ability and eToM. The CAMHeb, along with the measure of general mentalizing, significantly differentiated between the AN and control groups. The associations of general mentalizing and CAMHeb with eating disorder (ED) symptoms were mediated by interpersonal mistrust. Conclusion: The CAMHeb is a valid measure of deficient eToM in AN. In therapy, an increase in mentalizing ability and accurate eToM may enhance interpersonal trust, which may further contribute to attenuation of AN symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Adolescents at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis, as defined by the presence of attenuated psychosis symptoms (APS), exhibit increased levels of suicidal ideation and behaviour. However, no research thus far has examined the link between basic self-disturbances (SDs), an established marker for CHR, and suicidality/self-harm in this population. The goal of this pilot study was to assess the association between SD, depression and suicidal ideation and behaviour among non-help-seeking adolescents from the community., Method: A total of 100 community-dwelling adolescents (age range: 13-16) were assessed using the Examination of Anomalous Self-experience, Prodromal Questionnaire, Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes, Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire and the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children (K-SADS). The K-SADS was used to derive a binary diagnosis of unipolar depression, as well as to measure suicidal ideation and behaviour and self-harm., Results: In a multiple regression analysis, SD accounted for variance in depressive symptoms and suicidality/self-harm over and above that accounted for by APS. Moreover, SD accounted for variance in suicidality/self-harm over and above that accounted for by depression symptoms., Conclusions: These pilot results suggest that SD might be a unique dimension of vulnerability to depression and suicidality/self-harm in adolescence. Also, they encourage assessment of SD as part of a suicide risk assessment, particularly in the context of risk for subsequent psychosis., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)