Are People with Poor Differentiation of Self at Risk of Developing Eating Disorders? A Study of Jewish and Arab Participants

Abstract

Purpose: In light of findings that Israeli Arabs report higher prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) than Israeli Jews and that higher rates of the risk of EDs have been reported by females than males, the first aim of this study was to further investigate the cultural and gender differences in differentiation of self (DoS) and risk of developing EDs among Israeli young adults. The second aim was to examine whether DoS is associated with the risk of EDs. Methods: Of the 859 participants (670 females, mean age 26.8), 440 were Jewish and 419 were Arab. Participants took the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and completed the Differentiation of Self-Revised (DSI-R) questionnaire.Results: Results revealed that Jewish participants had significantly lower diet, bulimia, and total EAT-26 scores than their Arab counterparts, while Jewish female participants had higher dieting and lower emotional cutoff scores than Jewish male participants. In addition, Jews who reported higher levels of risk of EDs showed higher levels of BMI, emotional reactivity, emotional cutoff, and fusion with others. Arabs who reported higher levels of risk of EDs reported higher levels of BMI and emotional cutoff and lower levels of I-position. Conclusion: People with high risk of EDs may have difficulty maintaining intimate family relationships. In distressing situations, they tend to disconnect rather than share with or gain support from significant others. In each culture, the risk of EDs increases for differently: among the Arab participants, when feelings and needs remain unexpressed; among the Jewish participants, even when they have symbiotic family relationships.Level of evidence: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study

Exploring the relationship between binge eating and differentiation of self: the mediating role of emotional distress and work stress

“…Well-differentiated individuals tend to exhibit better coping abilities in stressful situations, experience greater well-being, possess a positive self-concept, and align their lives with their own desires ( 50 ). Conversely, poorly differentiated people are more likely to report higher levels of anxiety ( 51 ), stress, and depression ( 2 ), and to be at higher risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus ( 52 ) and eating disorders ( 10 , 53 ).…”