Are People with Poor Differentiation of Self at Risk of Developing Eating Disorders? A Study of Jewish and Arab Participants

Purpose: In light of findings that Israeli Arabs report higher prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) than Israeli Jews and that higher rates of the risk of EDs have been reported by females than males, the first aim of this study was to further investigate the cultural and gender differences in differentiation of self (DoS) and risk of developing EDs among Israeli young adults. The second aim was to examine whether DoS is associated with the risk of EDs. Methods: Of the 859 participants (670 females, mean age 26.8), 440 were Jewish and 419 were Arab. Participants took the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and completed the Differentiation of Self-Revised (DSI-R) questionnaire.Results: Results revealed that Jewish participants had significantly lower diet, bulimia, and total EAT-26 scores than their Arab counterparts, while Jewish female participants had higher dieting and lower emotional cutoff scores than Jewish male participants. In addition, Jews who reported higher levels of risk of EDs showed higher levels of BMI, emotional reactivity, emotional cutoff, and fusion with others. Arabs who reported higher levels of risk of EDs reported higher levels of BMI and emotional cutoff and lower levels of I-position. Conclusion: People with high risk of EDs may have difficulty maintaining intimate family relationships. In distressing situations, they tend to disconnect rather than share with or gain support from significant others. In each culture, the risk of EDs increases for differently: among the Arab participants, when feelings and needs remain unexpressed; among the Jewish participants, even when they have symbiotic family relationships.Level of evidence: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study

The Relationship between Type 2 Diabetes, Differentiation of Self, and Emotional Distress: Jews and Arabs in Israel

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is considered a global epidemic, and is constantly on the rise. In Israel, the percentage of diabetics in the Arab population is twice that found in the Jewish population (12% and 6.2%, respectively). Findings suggest that low differentiation of self (DoS: emotional reactivity+ fusion with others, I-position, emotional cutoff) may raise vulnerability to certain physiological pathologies by increasing susceptibility to psychological distress. The major goal of this study was to test differences in DoS and emotional distress (anxiety and depressive symptoms) between diabetic and healthy participants. The second aim was to examine cultural differences within these metrics. Another purpose was to examine the relationship between DoS and emotional distress among healthy and diabetic participants. The sample included 261 participants, of whom 154 were healthy and 107 were diabetic. Diabetics reported more severe depressive symptoms, higher levels of anxiety and emotional cutoff and lower levels of I-position than healthy individuals. The groups did not differ in their levels of emotional reactivity + fusion with others. Arabs demonstrated higher levels of emotional cutoff, anxiety and depressive symptoms and lower levels of I-position than Jews. However, Arabs and Jews did not differ in their levels of emotional reactivity + fusion with others. Emotional reactivity + fusion with others contributed the most to diabetes among Arabs, while depressive symptoms contributed the most among Jews. Finally, among Jewish participants, age was positively correlated with emotional cutoff and depressive symptoms. Emotional cutoff was positively correlated with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Emotional reactivity + fusion with others was positively correlated with anxiety. Among Arab participants, age was positively correlated with emotional cutoff, anxiety and depressive symptoms. I-position was negatively correlated with all study variables. Emotional cutoff was positively correlated, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Emotional reactivity + fusion with others was positively correlated with anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Relationships between Coerced Sexting and Differentiation of Self: An Exploration of Protective Factors

Pressure to send sexually explicit messages, or ‘sexting coercion’ is associated with adverse mental health outcomes and sexual risk behaviors. This study explores Differentiation of Self (DoS) as a potential protective factor to reduce susceptibility to sexting coercion. A convenience sample of 399 Australian participants, aged 18 to 21 years (Mage = 19.63; SD = 1.14, 68.2% women) completed an online survey measuring sexting behaviors and DoS. Women were four times more likely to send willing unwanted sexts, and seven times more likely to engage in coerced unwanted sexting than men. Participants with low DoS were four times more likely to engage in coerced unwanted sexting. DoS significantly mediated the relationship between gender and coerced unwanted sexting. Results support the proposal of a sexting coercion typology encompassing discrete sub-types of sexting coercion. Results also indicate DoS may operate as a protective factor for young people in Australia, reducing compliance with sexting when coerced.

Self-differentiation as an intermediate variable between anger management and neurotic perfectionism among high achievers “a psychological study of the rights of special education”

Purpose This study aims to explore the intermediate role of self-differentiation in anger management and neurotic perfectionism for a sample of high achievers at some public universities in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. This increases the chances of these students obtaining their rights. Design/methodology/approach The researcher used the microcopy of Drake, Murdock, Marszalek and [(the Differentiation of Self Inventory—Short Form (DSI-SF)] scale, differentiation of self child-adolescent perfectionism scale and Davidson and Munro (2000) scale of neurotic perfectionism in addition to the anger management scale of the current study. The researcher used the appropriate statistical methods and the descriptive design to find the results. Findings The results showed that there is no statistically significant difference among male and female students in the positive anger management while three was a statistically significant difference among them in the negative anger management favoring male students. Further, there were no statistically significant differences among the study sample according to the country (Egypt and Saudi Arabia) in anger management (positive and negative). Moreover, there was a correlation matrix between the study variables as shown in the study; The statistical analysis was conducted to identify the suggested constructive model and variables of the study, anger management (positive-negative) as an independent variable, self-differentiation as an intermediate variable and neurotic perfectionism as a dependent variable among high achievers, This explains the necessity of preparing the environment for these students to become more healthy, through which they can enjoy all their rights as a category of special education, where most of the focus is on the handicapped groups from special education more than the high achievers’ students. Originality/value The study recommended that higher education courses should focus on anger management skills and the development of self-differentiation and the positive part of perfectionism. Also, the current study provided the educators of higher education with some suggestions to promote it and develop high achievers, which may lead to positive mental and physical health for high achievers and raising awareness of society and obtaining their rights in education and life.

The Relationship between Differentiation of Self and Psychological Adjustment to Separation

Many individuals suffer negative mental health consequences such as anxiety and depression following separation from a romantic partner and/or co-parenting conflict due to divorce. Consequently, treating the psychological aftermath of divorce and partner separation remains a predominant concern for mental health practitioners. According to family systems theory, high interdependence and low differentiation of self are associated with a lessened capacity for managing anxiety or adapting to stressful events since intense emotions may inhibit the ability to cope. To assess the relationship between differentiation of self and psychological adjustment to separation, 84 divorced adults completed an online survey. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that a model based on fusion with others, I-position, and emotional cutoff was a statistically significant predictor of lonely/negativity. Bivariate correlation analyses confirmed significant linear relationships between fusion with others, lonely/negativity, and co-parenting conflict. No differences between genders were found. There is a continuing need to develop interventions to address the negative consequences of divorce, help reduce emotional suffering, and encourage healthy co-parenting. Individuals struggling with psychological adjustment post-divorce, or those seeking education for managing the psychological effects of divorce and co-parenting, may benefit from counseling strategies that incorporate an assessment of differentiation of self and psychological adjustment to separation.