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Marriage is an important life goal and is highly valued among Orthodox Jews. Shidduch dating refers to the arranged dating system that is typically used within the community. Previous research and anecdotal evidence suggest that the shidduch system has become difficult and challenging for many individuals, yet there is a dearth of evidence on the subject. This study set out to explore issues related to dating and marriage within the Orthodox Jewish community using a large sample size. Participants included 889 Orthodox individuals across diverse demographic groups who responded to an optional question within a larger survey inquiring about their thoughts and experiences on the subject. An inductive qualitative analysis was conducted, and this paper focuses on the seven most prevalent themes that emerged. These themes include issues related to superficial criteria in mate selection, gender segregation, perceived surplus of females, pressure to marry before feeling ready, the formal structure of shidduch dating, the exclusion of specific groups from the process and lack of education in areas of intimacy and sexuality. This study is important in promoting clinical awareness regarding the struggles that many Orthodox Jewish daters face and underscores the need for communal change addressing these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies found that psychopathology is associated with distinct self-perceptions over time. Euthymic individuals report experiencing a self-enhancement bias, with self-appraisal increasing over time. In contrast, depressed individuals report viewing a personal decline from past to present and anticipated self-improvement from present to future. This study examined the association between the singular presence of anxiety and temporal self-appraisal.Methods: Using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, this study examined a depressed (n = 142), anxious (n = 95), comorbid depressed and anxious (n = 335), and euthymic group (non-depressed and non-anxious, n = 535), on a validated task of temporal self-appraisal.Results: Anxiety has a unique association with temporal self-appraisal that differs from the other disorders examined in this study. Specifically, individuals with anxiety had a similar positive trend of self-view to the euthymic group; however, their overall trend was lower at each temporal point. Individuals with depression had a stable past-to-present self-view and an improving present-to-future self-view.Limitations: The use of an online self-report sample without longitudinal assessment of variables, while sufficient for the intent of the present study, limits the potential extrapolation from this sample, as well as prevents the determination of the direction of causality.Conclusions: While individuals with anxiety demonstrate a positive sense of improvement over time, their psychopathology is associated with a negative bias in their perception of their past, present, and future selves. These findings have important implications for clinicians regarding potential interventions and treatment for anxiety and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The personal recovery movement advocates for shifting emphasis from clinical symptom reduction toward reclaiming personal agency and creating meaning-filled lives despite the presence of distressing experiences. Corresponding personal recovery measures have been developed; however, there is no established psychometric assessment of personal recovery following a suicidal episode. This study addressed this gap by developing the Recovery Evaluation and Suicide Support Tool (RESST) and assessing its test score reliability, test score interpretations' validity, and psychometric properties. Throughout RESST's development, input from diverse stakeholders—including clinicians, researchers, and individuals with lived experience—was gathered to ensure a meaningful and useful scale. Exploratory factor analysis techniques were used with adults with a suicidal episode history (N = 502) to select and refine items, culminating in a 21-item scale with four distinct subscales: Self-Worth, Life Worth, Social Worth, and Self-Understanding. Confirmatory factor analysis techniques demonstrated model fit across three samples of adults with a suicidal episode history (combined N = 1,523), and test–retest reliability was obtained (N = 204). The results revealed that RESST scores exhibit an internally consistent and replicable factor structure, consistent with personal recovery theory. Additionally, the interpretation of test scores exhibited both convergent and discriminant validity. Mental health indices related to recovery, negative mood states, suicidality, and meaning in life had significant moderate-to-strong correlations with the RESST, supporting the validity of the test score interpretations and clinical relevance. This measure should aid research into recovery processes and understanding how recovery following a suicidal episode may be enhanced clinically and personally. Public Significance Statement: The study highlights the underexplored area of personal recovery after a suicidal episode. It demonstrates that the Recovery Evaluation and Suicide Support Tool (RESST) offers reliable test scores and valid test score interpretations, effectively aiding in understanding, tracking, and supporting individuals' recovery from suicidal episodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]