Psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the short 9-item drive for muscularity scale (DMS-9).

Background: After the original 15-item Drive for Muscularity Scale developed by McCreary et al. in 2004, a more theoretically based scale that replicates the original DMS subscales with a better conceptual clarity and a shorter number of items, i.e.

Psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the body appreciation scale (BAS-2) and its short forms (BAS-2SF) in a community sample of Lebanese adults.

Objectives: The present study sought to examine the factor structure, reliability, validity and gender invariance of the Arabic Body Appreciation Scale (BAS-2), and its two short forms (the 3-item and 2-item BAS-2SF) among community Lebanese Arabic-speaking adults.

Methods: We carried-out an online cross-sectional survey. The 10-item BAS-2, the functionality appreciation scale and the Eating Attitudes Test-26 were completed by 826 Lebanese community adults (57.

Psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the Nine Item Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Screen (NIAS) in a community sample of adults.

Background: No epidemiological data is yet available on Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) in Arab countries, which may in part be due to the lack of measures available in Arabic language. This constitutes a major obstacle to further progress of our understanding of the nature, aetiology, course, treatment, and prevention of ARFID, especially as some evidence suggested that ARFID may vary across cultures and food environments. We aimed to contribute to the literature in the eating disorders field by examining the psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the Nine Item ARFID Screen (NIAS).

Does loneliness mediate the association between social media use disorder and sexual function in Lebanese university students?

Research on the association between social media use disorder (SMUD) and face-to-face sexual function remains controversial, surprisingly scarce and even non-existing in certain vulnerable populations such as university students. We aimed to explore the mediating role of loneliness between SMUD and two dimensions of sexual function (sexual arousal and desire) in a sample of Lebanese university students. A total of 363 university students participated in a cross-sectional survey.

Exploring negative symptoms heterogeneity in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder using cluster analysis.

Background: Dissecting the heterogeneity of schizophrenia may help foster progress in understanding its etiology and lay the groundwork for the development of new treatment options for primary or enduring negative symptoms (NS). In this regard, the present study aimed to: (1) to use cluster analysis to identify subgroups of Lebanese patients diagnosed with either schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder based on NS clusters, and (2) to relate the statistically-derived subgroups to clinically relevant external validators (including measures if state and trait depression, stigma, insight, loneliness, social support).

Method: A total of 202 adult long-stay, chronic, and clinically remitted patients (166 diagnosed with schizophrenia and 36 with schizoaffective disorder) were enrolled.

Psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness (MAIA-2) questionnaire in a non-clinical sample of Arabic-speaking adults.

Background: Interoception refers to processes through which the nervous system identifies, analyzes, and integrates the information generated by the physiological state of the body (e.g., from internal organs such as the stomach, heart, or lungs).

Insomnia and distress as mediators on the relationship from cyber-victimization to self-reported psychotic experiences: a binational study from Tunisia and Lebanon.

Background: While expansive research has accumulated concerning the association between traditional, face-to-face peer victimization and psychosis, a paucity of empirical research has been undertaken so far to investigate these associations with experiences of new and evolving ways of victimization through the digital world. Exploring these associations is highly relevant and timely, given that emerging adults are heavy users of digital technologies, highly exposed to online risks, and are at the peak age of onset of psychosis. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that psychological distress and insomnia symptoms have a significant indirect mediating effect on the association between cyber-victimization and self-reported positive psychotic experiences (SRPEs) in a binational sample of Tunisian and Lebanese community adults.

Measuring public attitudes towards people living with chronic diseases in Arabic-speaking populations: adaptation and development of the Social Stigma Scale of Chronic Diseases (SSS-CD).

Background: A large proportion of the population in Arab countries suffer from chronic diseases. According to the statistics by the Global Health Estimates, chronic illnesses contribute by 71% to total deaths in the Arab region. While chronic illnesses have been demonstrated to carry high levels of social stigma, it is only recently that little research attention has been given to this topic in the Arab world.

Psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the Inflexible Eating Questionnaire (IEQ) in a non-clinical sample of adults.

Background: The Inflexible Eating Questionnaire (IEQ) is an 11-item instrument designed to evaluate the behavioural and psychological components of inflexible eating. However, the psychometric properties of the instrument have been infrequently examined, and no previous work has examined its utility in the context of the Middle East.

Methods: A total of 826 Lebanese citizens and residents completed a novel Arabic translation of the IEQ, as well as previously validated measures of body appreciation, functionality appreciation, and disordered eating.

Examining correlates of aggression and mediating effect of psychological distress between exposure to media violence and aggression in lebanese adults.

Background: Violent media is the most consumed type of media in Lebanon. Many studies have linked exposure to media violence to increased aggression and psychological distress. As Lebanon is going through socio-political turmoil, we aimed to [1] explore the correlates of aggression (i.

Schizotypal traits in a large sample of high-school and university students from Tunisia: correlates and measurement invariance of the arabic schizotypal personality questionnaire across age and sex.

Background: The main goal of the present study was to examine the characteristics of schizotypal traits and their correlations with genetic (i.e., family history of mental illness), demographic (i.

Psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the multidimensional social support scale (MSPSS) in a community sample of adults.

Background: There is a lack of methodologically strong measure to assess perceived social support among Arabic-speaking populations. Our main objective was therefore to examine the psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the Multidimensional Social Support Scale (MSPSS) in a sample of Arabic-speaking Lebanese adults from the general population.

Methods: We adopted a cross-sectional design involving a convenience sample of 387 non-clinical Lebanese adults aged 26.

The moderating effect of cognitive impairment on the relationship between inner speech and auditory verbal hallucinations among chronic patients with schizophrenia.

Background: Even though there is an increasing amount of evidence from behavioral and neuroimaging studies to suggest that pathological inner speech plays a role in the emergence of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH), studies investigating the mechanisms underlying this relationship are rather scarce. Examining moderators might inform the development of new treatment options for AVH. We sought to extend the existing knowledge by testing the moderating role of cognitive impairment in the association between inner speech and hallucinations in a sample of Lebanese patients with schizophrenia.

New-onset acute psychosis as a manifestation of lupus cerebritis following concomitant COVID-19 infection and vaccination: a rare case report.

Background: Rare cases of COVID-19 infection- and vaccine-triggered autoimmune diseases have been separately reported in the literature. In this paper, we report the first and unique case of new onset acute psychosis as a manifestation of lupus cerebritis following concomitant COVID-19 infection and vaccination in a previously healthy 26-year-old Tunisian female.

Case Presentation: A 26-years old female with a family history of a mother diagnosed with schizophrenia, and no personal medical or psychiatric history, was diagnosed with mild COVID-19 infection four days after receiving the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Psychometric properties of the Arabic versions of the Three-Item Short Form of the modified Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS-3) and the Muscularity Bias Internalization Scale (MBIS).

Background: There is a lack of psychometrically sound measures to assess internalized weight and muscularity biases among Arabic-speaking people. To fill this gap, we sought to investigate the psychometric properties of Arabic translations of the Three-Item Short Form of the Modified Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS-3) and the Muscularity Bias Internalization Scale (MBIS) in a sample of community adults.

Methods: A total of 402 Lebanese citizens and residents enrolled in this cross-sectional study (mean age: 24.

Validity and reliability of the arabic version of the self-report single-item self-esteem scale (A-SISE).

Background: Meta-analytic findings documented a substantial impact of self-esteem on a broad range of psychological and behavioral indicators, thus highlighting its high clinical relevance. Proving a simple and cost-effective measure of global self-esteem to the Arabic-speaking community, who mostly live in low- and middle-income countries, and where research may be challenging, would be highly valuable. In this context, we sought to investigate the psychometric characteristics of an Arabic translation of the Single-Item Self-Esteem Scale (A-SISE) in terms of factor structure, reliability, and construct validity.

Does mindfulness moderate the association between impulsivity and well-being in Lebanese university students?

Limited evidence showed that impulsivity is negatively related to life satisfaction and wellbeing; however, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. We aimed through this work to investigate the relationship between impulsivity dimensions and well-being and to explore the moderator role of mindfulness on this relationship in a sample of Lebanese university students. This cross-sectional study was carried out among 363 university students recruited through convenience sampling through several universities in Lebanon's governorates.

Psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the briefest version of the Zimbardo time perspective inventory (ZTPI-15).

Background: Self-perceived temporal perspectives has been shown to vary across cultures. Although cross-cultural differences may be blurred by the globalization, accelerated pace-of-life worldwide and spread of multitasking; the way Arab individuals deal with time has its specificities. However, research in this area is scant in the Arab world.

Functionality appreciation is inversely associated with positive psychotic symptoms in overweight/obese patients with schizophrenia.

Background: While the relationship between negative aspects of body image and positive schizophrenia symptoms was extensively investigated and is relatively well-established, there is a dearth of literature on the relationship between positive symptoms and positive aspects of body image, such as body appreciation and functionality appreciation, in patients with schizophrenia. This study aimed to (1) compare weight stigma, body and functionality appreciation between obese/overweight and normal-weight patients with schizophrenia, and (2) explore the associations between these variables and positive psychotic symptoms in the obese/overweight group.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Lebanon during September 2022 recruiting selected in-patients diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Inequality and barriers in psychosis prevention: A systematic review on clinical high-risk for psychosis studies from developing countries.

Background: The clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR) paradigm is one of the best studied preventive paradigms in psychiatry. However, most studies have been conducted in high-income countries. It is unclear if knowledge from such countries applies to low and middle-income countries (LAMIC), and if there are specific limitations hindering CHR research there.

The moderating effect of emotion regulation in the association between social support and religiosity and psychological distress in adults.

Background: Lebanese adults face daily obstacles due to their numerous responsibilities and non-ending external pressures to the extent that Lebanon has been ranked second among highest negative experiences countries worldwide. A sparse number of international studies showed that positive social support, religiosity and cognitive reappraisal would decrease psychological distress, but none in Lebanon. This study aimed to evaluate the association between social support, religiosity and psychological distress among Lebanese adults, taking into consideration the moderating role of emotion regulation.