Latent Class Analysis of Self-directed Violence and Indirect Self-harm Behaviors: Gender Differences and Associations With Mental Health Symptoms.

Objective: This study aimed to (1) examine whether the latent class structure of individuals engaging in self-directed violence and indirect self-harm behaviors (eg, substance use, disordered eating) varied by gender in a sample of US veterans, and (2) test the associations of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms with the resulting classes.

Study Design: Cross-sectional data from 3581 veterans, ages 18-50 (51.9% identified as women) were analyzed.

Risky business: is pubic hair removal by women associated with body image and sexual health?

Unlabelled: Background Body hair removal is a behaviour that has become normative among women in Westernised cultures, and is presented by the media as the feminine ideal, despite being painful and a potential cause of infection. Of concern, removal may be part of a more global pattern of appearance dissatisfaction and risky sexual behaviour. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationships among pubic hair removal, body image and sexual health indicators.

Improving body image and sexual health behaviors among college women.

Objective: To conduct a pilot test to determine if the Body Project, an eating disorder prevention program, was able to reduce risky sexual behaviors.

Participants: Twenty college-age women ages 18-21 (in March, 2015) who endorsed both body image dissatisfaction and previous or current sexual activity.

Methods: Participants were randomized to the Body Project or psychoeducational control group, and completed baseline, post-test, and 6-month follow-up measures assessing body image concerns, eating behaviors, and sexual behaviors and attitudes.

Integrating intervention targets offered by homeostatic theory.

Marks presents "homeostatic theory" which proposes that weight gain is fostered by a "Circle of Discontent" consisting of body dissatisfaction, negative affect, and overconsumption. This innovative framework offers potential intervention approaches, including victim-blaming, stigma, and discrimination, as well as devalorizing the thin-ideal. Our article discusses possible ways that clinical health psychologists based in university settings may be uniquely positioned to consider and implement large-scale programs that have shown great promise for addressing these core issues.

Dieting in bulimia nervosa is associated with increased food restriction and psychopathology but decreased binge eating.

The cognitive behavioral model of bulimia nervosa (BN) suggests that dieting is central to the maintenance of binge eating. However, correlational and experimental studies suggest that additional clarification is needed about the nature of this relationship. Dieting, weight, eating disorder psychopathology, and depression were assessed at admission among 166 patients with BN presenting for residential treatment.