Abstract Dysfunctional beliefs influence the pathogenesis and maintenance of eating disorders. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) aims to modify these specific beliefs and mediate functional patterns of appraisal and thinking. The present pilot study aims to experimentally validate a computer-assisted avatar-based treatment (CAT-DB) to reduce dysfunctional body-related cognitions and symptom severity in a sample with subclinical eating disorder symptomatology. In a randomized controlled trial, 48 participants were assigned to either the control group or CAT-DB. The conviction of individual body-related cognitions and eating disorder-specific symptom expression was measured shortly before the beginning of the intervention (pre-measurement), directly after the intervention (post-measurement), and [...]

Abstract This study aimed to test a transdiagnostic model for depression and anxiety by including childhood trauma and parenting as the distal factors and neuroticism, emotion dysregulation, and repetitive negative thinking (RNT) as the proximal factors. Data were obtained from clinical (major depression, panic, generalized anxiety, or comorbid disorders) and nonclinical samples. Results showed that healthy controls had lower scores than the clinical sample in all measures. Moreover, participants with a single diagnosis had lower scores than those with comorbid diagnoses. The structural regression confirmed that the proximal factor represented by neuroticism, emotion dysregulation, and RNT had a mediating role [...]

Abstract  Experiential avoidance (EA) is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) across different populations, and extant literature has demonstrated a strong relationship between PTSD and SITBs. However, no study has explored the potential moderating role EA plays in the association of PTSD with nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. The objective of the present study was to determine if EA would moderate the association with PTSD and SITBs such that the association between PTSD and individuals SITBs would be stronger among individuals with higher EA. In a large national sample of Gulf [...]