Psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Nightmares Distress Questionnaire (NDQ-AV) in a community sample of adolescents.

BACKGROUND: The Nightmare Distress Questionnaire (NDQ), known and commonly used for its adequate psychometric properties, is the most widely used instrument for the measurement of nightmare distress. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of a newly translated Arabic version of the Nightmare Distress Questionnaire (NDQ-AV). METHODS: A total of 546 Lebanese adolescents was recruited for this study and completed the NDQ-AV, the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the eight-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-8). RESULTS: The results of the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported both a one-factor model and a two-factor model of the NDQ-AV, with the latter consisting of seven items within both factors. The first factor was referred to as the "general nightmare distress and coping" while the second was named "nightmare impact and perception". The reliability of the scale was excellent (α = 0.930 and ω = 0.915). Moreover, measurement invariance was shown across gender, demonstrating that this measure performs consistently for both men and women. Additionally, the NDQ-AV scores exhibited excellent reliability alongside factorial and concurrent validity. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, these results support the psychometric validity of the Arabic version of the NDQ. The availability of the NDQ-AV is expected to facilitate the understanding of nightmare distress within the Lebanese context.

The moderating effect of religiosity between climate change anxiety and death anxiety among a sample of Lebanese adults.

BACKGROUND: Acknowledging the increasing worry over climate change and its psychological effects, the aim of this research is to clarify the dynamics between religiosity, climate anxiety and death anxiety, seeking to figure out the way religiosity mitigates the psychological effects of existential anxieties and climate related anxiety. METHODS: Using Google Forms, a questionnaire was developed and disseminated through a variety of messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger. Through a snowball sampling technique, 763 participants were recruited in this cross-sectional during September 2023. RESULTS: The subsequent variables were adjusted in the moderation analysis: age, gender, and place of living. The results suggested that religiosity levels moderated the association between climate anxiety and death anxiety (Beta = 0.02, t = 1.97, p = .05, 95% CI 0.001, 0.035). At low, moderate, and high levels of religiosity, higher climate anxiety was significantly associated with more death anxiety. In addition, at low levels of climate anxiety, individuals with higher levels of religiosity (22.66) had more decreased levels of death anxiety compared to those with lower levels of religiosity (11.99). As climate anxiety levels increase, inverted patterns can be observed, with highly religious individuals showing higher levels of death anxiety than those with lower levels of religiosity. Overall, the relationship between climate anxiety and death anxiety was found to be weakest at low levels of religiosity and strongest at high levels of religiosity. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest a possible beneficial effect of high religiosity at low levels of climate anxiety. This effect is reversed as climate anxiety starts to increase. Therefore, clinicians and policy-makers should bear in mind these complex interactions when designing strategies to mitigate mental health problems in the context of climate crisis.

Mediating and moderating factors between economic pressure and turnover intention among school teachers in Lebanon during the ongoing crisis era.

Background: The Lebanese ongoing crisis has exposed big challenges for the education system, including low teachers' salaries and their desire to leave their jobs. Identifying key contributing factors to teacher turnover intention may help policymakers develop and implement appropriate and informed retention strategies aiming at preserving the struggling Lebanese educational system and saving costs. The present study aimed to examine the mediating role of three potential factors, i.e. job satisfaction, work-related fatigue, and psychological distress, and the moderating role of employment sector, in the relationship between economic pressure and turnover intention among teachers who work in Lebanon during the economic crisis. Methods: We carried-out a cross-sectional, web-based study targeting a nationally-representative sample of Lebanese teachers (N = 3779, mean age = 38.33 years, 86.7 % females). Results: The results of mediation analyses showed that physical/emotional/mental work fatigue, psychological distress and job satisfaction mediated the relationship between perceived economic pressure and turnover intentions among Lebanese teachers. Economic pressure was significantly associated with higher work fatigue, more distress, less job satisfaction and more turnover intentions. Also, more work fatigue, higher distress levels and less job satisfaction were significantly associated with higher turnover intentions. Finally, more economic pressure was significantly associated with more turnover intentions. On the other hand, the moderating effect of teachers' sector of employment (Private versus Public) was not significant. Conclusion: This is among the first studies to link economic pressure, job satisfaction, work fatigue, psychological distress and turnover intentions in the teachers' psychology literature. This is also the first study on this topic in Lebanon, a country that offers a unique context and opportunity to understand the link between teachers' economic pressure and turnover intentions. The results expand on past research by showing that work-related fatigue, job satisfaction and psychological distress are three factors that underline the cross-sectional relationship between economic pressure and teachers' turnover intention. This implies that further attention of policy makers and school officials should be paid to enhance job satisfaction, decrease work fatigue and prevent psychological distress in order to retain and attract teachers at schools in Lebanon.

Translation and validation to the Arabic language version of the climate change anxiety scale (CCAS).

BACKGROUND: The Arab world is one of the global regions the most directly concerned by, and suffering from climate change's adverse consequences. As such, there appears to be a strong need for an understanding of how Arab people may emotionally respond to climate change. Providing valid and reliable measures of climate change anxiety (CCA) can help gain a clear overview of the situation in Arab countries, and allow to intervene timely and effectively to mitigate any adverse effects on Arab people's mental health. To this end, the present study sought to validate the Arabic language version of the Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS) in a sample of native Arabic-speaking adults from the general population of Lebanon. METHODS: This study adopted a cross-sectional approach and enrolled 763 adults between July and September 2023. RESULTS: A confirmatory analysis of the one-factor model showed poor fit indices as follows: CFI = 0.90, GFI = 0.83, SRMR = 0.048 and RMSEA 0.131 [90% CI 0.123, 0.138). The two-factor model showed a satisfactory fit with a high CFI of and a GFI of 0.91 and a SRMR of 0.04 and RMSEA of 0.05 [90% CI 0.04, 0.06]. Both McDonald's omega and Cronbach alpha values were high for the overall CCAS score (α = 0.96 and ω = 0.96) in the whole sample. Configural, metric and scalar invariance across gender was demonstrated. No significant difference was found between males and females in terms of total CCAS scores (24.53 ± 10.59 vs. 26.03 ± 11.17, t(761) = -1.82, p = .069). Higher CCA, functional impairment and cognitive impairment scores were significantly associated with higher depression, anxiety and stress. CONCLUSION: The reliability and validity of the CCAS in its Arabic version were proven. The availability of this self-report measure could offer a chance to assess CCA among Adults speaking Arabic, and to spread its future use for screening and research purposes.

Psychometric properties of the ultra-brief self-report Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) to assess anxiety and depression in Arabic-speaking adults.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression are psychiatric disorders that often coexist and share some features. Developing a simple and cost-effective tool to assess anxiety and depression in the Arabic-speaking population, predominantly residing in low- and middle-income nations where research can be arduous, would be immensely beneficial. The study aimed to translate the four-item composite Patient Health Questionnaire - 4 (PHQ-4) into Arabic and evaluate its psychometric properties, including internal reliability, sex invariance, composite reliability, and correlation with measures of psychological distress. METHODS: 587 Arabic-speaking adults were recruited between February and March 2023. An anonymous self-administered Google Forms link was distributed via social media networks. We utilized the FACTOR software to explore the factor structure of the Arabic PHQ-4. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated that fit of the two-factor model of the PHQ-4 scores was modest (χ2/df = .13/1 = .13, RMSEA = .001, SRMR = .002, CFI = 1.005, TLI = 1.000). Internal reliability was excellent (McDonald's omega = .86; Cronbach's alpha = .86). Indices suggested that configural, metric, and scalar invariance were supported across sex. No significant difference was found between males and females in terms of the PHQ-4 total scores, PHQ-4 anxiety scores, and PHQ-4 depression scores. The total score of the PHQ-4 and its depression and anxiety scores were significantly and moderately-to-strongly associated with lower wellbeing and higher Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) total and subscales scores. CONCLUSION: The PHQ-4 proves to be a reliable, valid, and cost-effective tool for assessing symptoms related to depression and anxiety. To evaluate the practical effectiveness of the Arabic PHQ-4 and to further enhance the data on its construct validity, future studies should assess the measure in diverse contexts and among specific populations.

Psychometric properties of the arabic translation of the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised (PACS-R) in adults.

BACKGROUND: Physical comparison may be a factor in body dissatisfaction and related issues, like eating disorders and depression. The Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised (PACS-R) is a scale developed to assess the frequency of physical comparison. Because there is no validated scale for body comparison in Arabic, this study aims to address this gap by validating the PACS-R in the Arabic language. METHODS: The PACS-R was translated to Arabic following a conventional forward-backward translation procedure, and was administered to a sample of 359 Lebanese adults along with The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES) for convergent validity. The factor structure was studied by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and composite reliability was assessed using McDonald's omega and Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: Results suggested a one-factor structure of the Arabic PACS-R, with good internal consistency (McDonald's ω = 0.97 / Cronbach α = 0.97). Measurement invariance was established across sex groups, with no significant difference being reported between males and females in terms of PACS-R scores (15.42 ± 10.64 vs. 13.16 ± 11.88; t(357) = 1.84; p = .066). Finally, adequate convergent validity was tested and found to be adequate, with PACS-R scores found to be correlated negatively with self-esteem and positively with psychological distress. CONCLUSION: The present findings preliminarily establish the Arabic PACS-R as an effective instrument for researchers and practitioners aiming to explore the physical comparison among Arabic-speaking populations, thus contributing to research and clinical work in the Arabic community.

Psychometric properties of the Arabic translation of the Dark Future Scale questionnaire in a non-clinical sample of Arabic-speaking young adults.

BACKGROUND: Through the years, studying negative behaviors of the worldwide population seized the spotlight from many researchers who focused on building scales in order the measure the level of worries, fear and even depression of such stressed individuals. By definition, "Future anxiety" (FA) is fueled by negative thoughts leading to intense fear of unknown future events. The Dark Future scale (DFS) measures the level of anxiety experienced towards the future. Our aim was to examine the psychometric properties of a novel Arabic translation of the DFS. METHODS: A sample of 684 Arabic-speaking young adults (65.6% women) filled the DFS, TEMPS-M (temperaments) and DASS-8 (psychological distress). RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) supported a unidimensional model of the DFS score, with all 5 items retained. This scale had good reliability. Moreover, concurrent validity demonstrated significant associations between DFS scores and psychological distress, depressive, cyclothymic, irritable and anxious temperament. Scores achieved scalar invariance across gender, with women having greater exposure to anxiety about the future. CONCLUSION: Overall, these findings led to the conclusion that the Arabic DFS is a psychometrically valid tool for the assessment of FA. The DFS is a brief, reliable and easy to apply scale that would help researchers in psychology and psychiatry in assessing anxiety about future.

The moderating effect of resilience in the association between insomnia severity and PTSD symptoms in Lebanese adolescents in the aftermath of the 2023 earthquake.

The interplay between insomnia and PTSD symptoms remains misunderstood, and seems to be influenced by other factors like individual resilience. Our study examined the moderating role of resilience in the relationship between insomnia and PTSD symptoms among a sample of Lebanese adolescents, in the aftermath of the 2023 earthquake. This cross sectional study, conducted in April, 2 months after the earthquake, enrolled 546 Lebanese adolescents. We used the Sleep Self Report, the Resilience Scale for Adolescents and the 13-item Children's Impact of Event Scale. The interaction insomnia severity by resilience was significantly associated with PTSD scores. At low, moderate and high resilience levels, higher insomnia severity was significantly associated with lower PTSD. Resilience moderated the relationship between insomnia and PTSD, mitigating the detrimental impact of disrupted sleep on PTSD symptoms. This data can guide healthcare administrators and psychiatric caregivers in classifying risk factors and implementing interventions to predict PTSD development.

Mediating effect of depression and acute stress between exposure to Israel-Gaza war media coverage and insomnia: a multinational study from five arab countries.

BACKGROUND: In the context of persistent wars and conflicts worldwide, the impact of acute, excessive and constant exposure to media coverage of such events on mental health outcomes becomes a serious problem for public health, and requires therefore urgent investigation to inform an effective prevention and management response. The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that war-related media exposure is directly and indirectly associated with insomnia through depression and perceived stress among adults from the general population of different Arab countries. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried-out two weeks after the beginning of Israel-Gaza war on the 7th of October 2023. An anonymous online survey and a snowball sampling method were adopted to collect data. A sample of 2635 general population adults (mean age of 23.98 ± 7.55 years, 73.1% females) took part of this study. RESULTS: The results of the mediation analysis showed that, after adjusting over potential confounders, depression and perceived stress fully mediated the association between war media exposure and insomnia; higher war media exposure was significantly associated with higher depression (Beta = 0.13; p < .001) and perceived stress (Beta = 0.07; p < .001), whereas higher depression (Beta = 0.43; p < .001) and perceived stress (Beta = 0.31; p < .001) were significantly associated with higher insomnia. It is of note that war media exposure was not significantly and directly associated with insomnia (Beta = - 0.01; p = .178 and Beta = 0.02; p = .098 respectively). CONCLUSION: The present study is the first to provide evidence that more time spent viewing the horrors of war is significantly associated with insomnia. In addition, symptoms of stress and depression were present as early as two weeks following the beginning of the war, and played a significant role in mediating the association between war media coverage and insomnia. These findings suggest that timely screening for, and management of depression and stress symptoms in clinical and preventive programs might be beneficial for community adults who have been heavily and indirectly exposed to war through media, and present with insomnia.

The mediating effect of post-traumatic growth on the relationship between personality traits and resilience among a sample of Lebanese adults.

BACKGROUND: Resilience plays a crucial role in mental health promotion and prevention, and was shown to be more represented in individuals who exhibit high levels of extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. However, there is a lack of studies that comprehensively investigate the association between personality traits and resilience in Lebanon and Arab countries more broadly. The purpose of the present study was to complement the literature by investigating the direct and indirect effects between the five personality traits and resilience among a sample of Lebanese adults through the intermediary role of posttraumatic growth. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was carried out between May and July 2022, and enrolled 387 participants, all aged above 18 years old and recruited from all Lebanon governorates. The questionnaire used included socio-demographic questions, and the following scales: Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) to assess resilience, post traumatic growth (PTG), and Big Five Inventory (BFI-2). The SPSS software v.25 was used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: Post-traumatic growth mediated the association between extraversion / agreeableness / conscientiousness and resilience. Higher extraversion / agreeableness / conscientiousness was significantly associated with more post-traumatic growth. Higher post-traumatic growth was significantly associated with more resilience. Extraversion, but not agreeableness and conscientiousness, was significantly and directly associated with more resilience. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that fostering PTG in individuals who experience adversity can help promote their resilience. Hence, it could be beneficial to design and apply programs aiming at supporting PTG among people who experience stressful and traumatizing situations, to consequently help them increase their sense of resilience.

Profiles of University Students in Terms of Sexual Dysfunction: The Role of Anxiety, Depression, Eating Attitudes, and Mindfulness.

Objective: Sexual dysfunction (SD) can interfere with sexual desire and satisfaction and is associated with an impairment in one's emotional, mental, physical, and social function. Despite its importance, SD remains understudied in Lebanon, possibly due to its sensitive nature. Therefore, this research aimed to address this gap by examining the relationship between SD and certain psychological and behavioral factors. The objective was to investigate the relationship between SD and eating attitudes, depression, anxiety, and mindfulness among university students in Lebanon using a cluster analysis approach.Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out between July and September 2021. Using the snowball technique, a sample of 363 Lebanese university students was recruited. SD was measured using the Sexual Dysfunction Questionnaire, with higher scores indicating higher sexual arousal/desire. Eating attitudes, anxiety, depression, and mindfulness were measured using the Eating Attitude Test, Lebanese Anxiety Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, and Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, respectively.Results: Participants were divided into 3 clusters: cluster 1 "moderate well being" (n = 109, 30.0%) was characterized by moderate eating attitudes, anxiety, depression, and mindfulness; cluster 2 "positive well-being" (n = 186, 51.2%) was characterized by having the lowest mean eating attitude, anxiety, and depression scores, while having the highest mean mindfulness score; and cluster 3 "negative well-being" (n = 68, 18.7%) was characterized by the highest mean eating attitude, anxiety, and depression scores, while having the lowest mean mindfulness score. Females compared to males (ß = -0.87) and belonging to cluster 2 (ß = -1.32) or cluster 3 (ß = -1.32) were significantly associated with less sexual arousal.Conclusion: The results align with previous findings suggesting that mindfulness has a role in SD. The current study highlights the importance of taking into consideration factors that interplay with SD. Mental health providers should consider integrating aspects of mindfulness into their practice when working with patients with SD. Additionally, addressing the taboo surrounding sexual health will be crucial to destigmatize this topic. The findings emphasize the need for accessible campaigns by sexual health organizations to raise awareness.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2024;26(3):23m03682. Author affiliations are listed at the end of this article.

Psychometric properties of the Arabic versions of the long (27 items) and short (13 items) forms of the interpersonal mindfulness scale (IMS).

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of measures and data on interpersonal mindfulness from non-Western cultures, which can hinder advances in our understanding of the construct, its conceptual representation, and its effects on human connection and relationships within different cultural settings. To fill this gap and help spark future research in this area in the Arab world, the current study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the 27-item and the 13-item versions of the interpersonal Mindfulness Scale (IMS) in a sample of Arabic-speaking adolescents from the general population. METHODS: A web-based survey was conducted in a sample of 527 Lebanese community adolescents (Mean age = 15.73 ± 1.81 years; 56% females). The IMS was translated from English into Arabic using the forward-backward translation method. Participants completed the long and short forms of the IMS, as well as the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire-Short Form (BPAQ-SF), and the 5-item Brief Irritability Test. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses provided support to the four-factor structure of both the 27-item and the 13-item IMS (i.e., Presence, Awareness of Self and Others, Nonjudgmental Acceptance, and Nonreactivity). The original and the short form versions of the IMS yielded excellent internal consistency in our sample, with a Cronbach's α coefficients of 0.95 and 0.90, and McDonald's omega coefficients of 0.95 and 0.90, respectively. Multigroup comparisons suggested the factorial invariance of the Arabic 27-item and 13-item IMS between male and female participants at the metric, configural, and scalar levels. Finally, the concurrent validity of both full-length and short form of the IMS appeared to be good and comparable, as attested by patterns of correlations in expected directions with outcome variables (i.e., aggression, anger, hostility, and irritability). CONCLUSION: The present findings provide support for the good psychometric qualities of the Arabic translation of the IMS in both long and short forms, suggesting that these scales are suitable for use to measure interpersonal mindfulness in Arabic-speaking youth, at least in Lebanon. We expect that the IMS, in particular its shortest form, will prompt more systematic investigation of interpersonal mindfulness in the Arabic-speaking populations, especially with regard to enhancing healthy communications with others and building effective social relationships.

Body appreciation and mindful eating in Lebanese adults: the mediating role of psychological distress.

A gap in the literature exists about the associations between adaptive eating patterns like mindful eating, body appreciation and psychological distress within the Lebanese population. The current culture of acceptance and increased emphasis on wellbeing elicits interest in studying body acceptance and its correlates. The aim of the current study is to assess the mediating effect of psychological distress in the association between body appreciation and mindful eating behaviors among a sample of Lebanese adults. This cross-sectional study enrolled 465 participants. Men and women over the age of 18 were eligible to participate. Then, initial participants were asked to recruit other participants they know. Individuals who consented took an online questionnaire that contained the following scales: a section collecting sociodemographic information, Mindful Eating Behavior Scale, Depression Stress Anxiety Scale (DASS-8) and Body Appreciation (BAS-2). The results of the mediation analysis showed that psychological distress fully mediated the associations between body appreciation and eating with awareness/eating without distraction. Higher body appreciation was significantly associated with less psychological distress, whereas higher psychological distress was significantly associated with less eating with awareness/eating without distraction. However, body appreciation was not associated with eating with awareness/eating without distraction respectively. These findings could guide further research on different categories of adaptive eating patterns and positive body variables within the Lebanese population.

The mediating role of depression in the association between perceived financial wellbeing and somatization: a study in the context of Lebanon's financial crisis.

The objectives of this study were to examine the association between financial wellbeing and somatization, in addition to the mediating effect of anxiety, depression and stress. To test such hypotheses, a cross-sectional study was carried out between September and October 2021; 403 participants (264 females; age = 32.76 ± 13.24 years) were recruited. Depression mediated the association between financial wellbeing and somatization. A worse financial wellbeing was significantly associated with more depression, which was associated with more somatization. Moreover, a worse financial wellbeing was significantly and directly associated with more somatization. Our study adds to the narrow body of research revolving around the relationship between financial wellbeing and somatization in Lebanese adults. Understanding that the effects of, depression are aggravated in a country such as Lebanon would help establish more preventative guidelines and mental health awareness campaigns. Identifying the correlates of somatization can also be translated into improved interventions.

Profiles of intuitive eating in adults: the role of self-esteem, interoceptive awareness, and motivation for healthy eating.

OBJECTIVE: Intuitive eating is an eating behavior that has recently come to use mainly in the young population. Knowing that the Lebanese cultural diet differs from other countries, the purpose of this study was to investigate if there is a relationship between self-esteem, interoceptive awareness, and motivation for healthy eating in a sample of Lebanese adults using a Latent Profile Analysis approach. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Lebanese governorates. PARTICIPANTS: 359 Lebanese participants enrolled in this study (mean age: 22.75 ± 7.04 years, 40.1% males), through convenience sampling in several Lebanese governorates. Participants were asked to fill anonymously the following scales: The Intuitive Eating Scale (IES-2), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness Scale (MAIA), and the Motivation for Healthy Eating Scale (MHES). RESULTS: Our findings revealed four profiles: profile 1 (n = 67; 18.66%) characterized by high SE and intermediate interoceptive awareness and motivation for healthy eating; profile 2 (n = 86; 23.97%) presented high SE, interoceptive awareness, and motivation for healthy eating; profile 3 (n = 86; 23.96%) characterized by high SE, interoceptive awareness, and motivation for healthy eating; class 4 (n = 108; 30.08) described by low SE, intermediate interoceptive awareness, and motivation for healthy eating One-way analysis of variance did not observe a significant difference between the four profiles based on intuitive eating (F = 1.810; p = 0.145; ɳp2 = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: Among a sample of Lebanese people, four profiles of interoceptive awareness, motivation for healthy eating, and self-esteem were observed, with no difference concerning intuitive eating.

Perceived social competencies as moderators: examining the relationship between psychological distress and aggression, hostility, and anger in Lebanese adults.

INTRODUCTION: The majority of people experience anger at some point in their lives when confronted with unpleasant situations. In social settings, anger can lead to aggressive and hostile in the absence of adequate social competences. Our study aims to examine the moderating role of perceived social competences in the association between psychological distress and anger expression (trait anger, hostility, physical aggression, and verbal aggression) among a sample of Lebanese adults. METHODS: 403 participants above 18 years (the mean age was 24.56 ± 8.46) were enrolled in the cross-sectional study with 73% female participants. The candidates were asked to complete a structured questionnaire including the following scales: (1) Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire-Short Form (BPAQ-SF), (2) the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-8), (3) Perceived Social Competencies (PSC), and (4) The De Jong-Gierveld Loneliness Scale. RESULTS: The interaction psychological distress by perceived social competence was not significantly associated with physical aggression, verbal aggression, or hostility but was significantly associated with anger. After adjusting the results over variables that showed a p <.25 in the bivariate analysis, this association was significant at low (Beta = 0.24; p <.001), moderate (Beta = 0.20; p <.001) and high (Beta = 0.16; p <.001) levels of perceived social competencies, where higher psychological distress was significantly associated with more anger. On another note, with higher perceived social competence, we find a decrease in levels of psychological distress in our sample. CONCLUSION: This study provided evidence that perceived social competencies such as communication skills, empathy and prosocial behaviors act as moderators in the association between psychological distress and anger. In future works, investigating and building advanced program in order to develop social competences of individuals might prove important. It is crucial to implement such strategies and projects in schools: this educational setting could be fruitful in a way that social skills could be instilled during childhood and anger-aggressive behaviors could be managed throughout adulthood.

Moderating effect of self-esteem between perfectionism and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder among Lebanese adults.

BACKGROUND: Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a new diagnosis added to the DSM-5 characterized by pathological eating habits without body image disturbances. Previous findings demonstrated a general association between high levels of perfectionism and low levels of self-esteem in association with general eating disorders. However, research is scant when it comes to ARFID specifically. Subsequently, although self-esteem is seen to moderate the association between perfectionism and general eating disorders, this research study aims to explore the same moderation but with ARFID specifically. METHODS: For this study, 515 Lebanese adults from the general Lebanese population were recruited from all over Lebanon, 60.1% of which were females. The Arabic version of the Big Three Perfectionism Scale- Short Form (BTPS-SF) was used to measure self-critical, rigid and narcissistic perfectionism; the Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder screen (NIAS) was used to score the ARFID variable; the Arabic-Single Item Self-Esteem (A-SISE) was the scale used to measure self-esteem. RESULTS: Across the different perfectionism types, self-esteem was seen to moderate the association between narcissistic perfectionism and ARFID (Beta = - 0.22; p =.006). At low (Beta = 0.77; p <.001), moderate (Beta = 0.56; p <.001) and high (Beta = 0.36; p =.001) levels of self-esteem, higher narcissistic perfectionism was significantly associated with higher ARFID scores. CONCLUSION: This study brought to light some crucial clinical implications that highlight the need for interventions that help in the enhancement of self-esteem in patients with high perfectionism and ARFID. This study suggests that clinicians and healthcare professionals should focus more on risk factors influencing the development and maintenance of ARFID-like symptoms.

Moderating Effect of Trait Mindfulness in the Association Between Problematic Social Media Use and Anxiety Among Lebanese University Students.

Objective: Some evidence has shown that problematic social media use (PSMU) is linked to anxiety. However, the nature of this relationship remains unclear, controversial, and poorly addressed due, among others, to a lack of examination of potential moderating and mediating variables. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that trait mindfulness may act as a moderator in the association between PSMU and symptoms of anxiety in a sample of university students from Lebanon.Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study among 363 students (mean age 22.65 years, 61.7% females) using an online survey. All participants were administered the Lebanese Anxiety Scale, the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, and the Social Media Disorder Scale. Students were recruited through convenience sampling from several universities in Lebanon between July and September 2021.Results: The multivariate analysis results showed that higher PSMU (B=0.88) was significantly related to more anxiety, whereas greater trait mindfulness (B= -0.42) was significantly related to less anxiety. The interaction of PSMU by mindfulness was significantly associated with anxiety (B=0.04; t357 = 2.34; P= .020). At low levels of mindfulness, higher PSMU was significantly associated with high levels of anxiety; anxiety levels decrease with moderate and high levels of mindfulness, respectively, despite the same level of high PSMU.Conclusion: Findings open up possibilities for new therapeutic approaches when dealing with PSMU among university students. Although further longitudinal studies are required, we preliminarily suggest that the use of trait mindfulness-based interventions may help reduce anxiety levels in students who present with severe PSMU.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2024;26(2):23m03664. Author affiliations are listed at the end of this article.

Psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the meaning in life scale in a sample of young adults.

BACKGROUND: Young adults are in a constant phase of realizing their meaning in life while being in a constant pursuit of meaning. Meaning in life is a subjective, personal construct related to the perception of one's own life. Considering that there are no measures that study this construct within the Arab context, this study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) in the Lebanese context with a sample of young adults. METHODS: A sample of 684 Lebanese young adults was recruited for this study, having a mean age of 21.74 years, 65.6% of which were females. Through an online questionnaire, participants were requested to complete the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-8) and the Oviedo Grit Scale (EGO). RESULTS: CFA indicated that fit of the original bi-dimensional model of MLQ scores was inadequate. Items 9 and 10 cross-loaded to both MLQ factors. After removal of those 2 items, the final model displayed good fit indices. Reliability was good for the Search (ω = 0.89 / α = 0.89) and Presence (ω = 0.88 / α = 0.87) subscales. Additionally, across three levels of gender invariance (Configural, Metric and Scalar), no significant gender-based distinctions were observed in the MLQ scores. The Search subscale was significantly and positively associated with higher GRIT but not psychological distress, whereas the Presence subscale was significantly associated with higher GRIT and lower psychological distress. CONCLUSION: The results of this study contribute to the psychometric reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the MLQ and makes it available for dissemination among young adults within the Arab context. This allows for the implementation of new research that target construct of meaning in life, allowing for the accessibility of interventions that aim to foster the presence of and search for meaning in the lives of young adults within the Arab nations.