Examining transdiagnostic factors among religious and spiritual individuals with comorbid eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders.

Eating disorders (EDs) have a harmful impact on the lives of millions of individuals in the United States. Research indicates that comorbid trauma could negatively impact treatment outcomes, reinforcing ED symptomology. Transdiagnostic approaches underscore experiential avoidance as a maintaining factor for EDs and other comorbid concerns, while mindfulness and adaptive coping help disrupt avoidance of emotional experiences. In addition to treatment approaches, clinicians must consider cultural identity factors, such as religion and spirituality (R/S), to engage in culturally responsive treatment. In the present study, we examined transdiagnostic factors in a clinical sample of 1153 individuals with comorbid EDs and post-traumatic stress disorder (99.6% of the sample), specifically considering differences between those who identified as religious, spiritual, or neither. Using a one-way analysis of variance, we found statistically significant differences in ED symptomology and adaptive coping scores across groups. Conversely, we found no statistically significant differences in mindfulness and experiential avoidance scores across groups. Despite the small effect sizes, these preliminary findings add to the existing body of research on R/S using a transdiagnostic framework, supporting the integration of spirituality into ED treatment to promote adaptive coping. Future research is needed to address the study's limitations, such as exploring adaptive coping styles that may further explain these relationships.

Dating Violence and the Impact of Technology: Examining the Lived Experiences of Sorority Members.

Dating violence (DV) is pervasive on college campuses with far-reaching health implications. We examined 70 sorority members' lived experiences with DV and explored the role of technology. Experience, perpetration, exposure, support systems, and conceptualization of DV were assessed, and sorority members engaged in small focus groups to examine their lived experiences. Emerging themes included (a) normalization of unhealthy behaviors, (b) technology and the experience of violence, and (c) sources of support and coping. Findings included significant correlations between the experience and perpetration of DV. Results highlight the need for peer intervention and prevention programming and infusing technology in constructive ways.

The Teen Screen for Dating Violence: An Item Response Theory Analysis.

There continues to be a lack of fundamental knowledge regarding assessment, conceptualization, and treatment of teen dating violence (TDV). This deficiency of knowledge becomes even greater when examining gender differences in violence experience, perpetration, and perception. This article details the item response theory (IRT) analysis of the Teen Screen for Dating Violence (TSDV) and includes an assessment of differential item functioning (DIF) reported by gender. The TSDV examines adolescents' perception, experience, perpetration, and exposure to violence, while also exploring support systems. The study participants included males and females between 13 and 21 years of age. Further refinement of the TSDV contributes to a more accurate and comprehensive conceptualization of TDV measurement. The results of this study support the use of the TSDV to assess for TDV in the adolescent population. The DIF analysis reveals that many of the items function differently for males and females, which provides evidence indicating that how TDV is experienced, perceived, and perpetrated differs across gender. The TSDV can assist clinicians in early TDV prevention, intervention, and education for males and females. It can also assist researchers in more accurately estimating perpetration, experience, and conceptualization of the three violence facets (emotional, physical, and sexual) in males and females. To further expand TDV knowledge, we offer recommendations for the use of the TSDV in various settings. The TSDV is a vital tool for clinicians, supervisors, and researchers to implement to mitigate the TDV epidemic and help bridge the gap in mental health services.