Depression and social anxiety mediate the relationship between parenting styles and risk of eating disorders

A study among Arab adolescents

Bibliographic Data

ID21337470
AuthorsOra Peleg (0000-0002-1257-4066, Department of School Counseling The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College Emek Yezreel Israel, corresponding author), Orna Tzischinsky (Department of School Counseling The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College Emek Yezreel Israel), Zohar Spivak‐Lavi (0000-0002-7711-4554, Department of School Counseling The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College Emek Yezreel Israel)
Year2021
Volume56
Issue6
Pages853-864
Publication date2021-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0020-7594 • E-ISSN: 1464-066X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ijop.12787
PMID34132397
OpenAlexW3172983349
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited27

In multicultural Israel, the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs), a common chronic disorder among Western adolescents (especially females), has risen for Arab adolescents, who belong to an Eastern collectivist society. The study examines family and psychological factors that may increase the risk of EDs among Muslim Arab adolescents. We expected social anxiety and depressive symptoms to mediate the association between parenting styles and risk of EDs, with possible gender differences in the mediation model. Participants were 613 Muslim adolescents (394 females and 219 males); mean age = 15.4 ± 1.6; range = 12–19. The analyses revealed that the severity of depressive symptoms and especially social anxiety mediate the relationship between authoritarian parenting style and risk of EDs. Females reported higher levels of risk of EDs, social anxiety, depression and authoritative parenting style than males; no differences appeared for authoritarian or permissive parenting styles. The research sheds new light on risk factors for EDs and the likelihood of authoritarian parenting style and social anxiety being involved in the aetiology of EDs among Arab adolescents. The outcomes meaningfully add to understanding of specific psychological processes that may be associated with the risk of EDs in this population

Anxiety · Authoritarianism · Collectivism · Democracy · Developmental psychology · Eating disorders · Mediation · Parenting styles · Permissive · Population · Psychiatry · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Demography · Eating Disorders and Behaviors · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Medicine · Psychology