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Objective: Relying on anthropomorphism research, Illness Personification Theory (ILL-PERF) posits that individuals living with a chronic illness ascribe human-like characteristics to their illness. Herein we examine the personification of chronic pain using a new measure: the Ben-Gurion University Illness Personification Scale (BGU-IPS). Method: Three samples of chronic pain patients (Sample 1 and 2 are distinct samples sharing similar characteristics, collected in the context of a cross-sectional design, Ns = 259, 263; Sample 3: a 2-waves longitudinal, N =163) completed the 12-item BGU-IPS, and measures of pain and related factors. Results: An orthogonal, two-factor structure was revealed for the BGU-IPS pertaining to negative vs. positive personifications. Negative personification was associated with pain intensity and illness-related distress (e.g., depression and low adjustment to pain). Positive personification was correlated with hope, pain-related sense of control, and low depression. However, positive personification also augmented the associations between negative personification and several risk factors. Conclusions: Pain personification, particularly as assessed via the BGU-IPS, plays a major role in (mal)adaptation to chronic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared 3 hypothetical trajectories of change in both general and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-specific anxiety during the first wave of the spread in the state of Israel: panic (very high anxiety, either from the outset or rapidly increasing), complacency (stable and low anxiety), and threat-sensitive (a moderate, linear increase compatible with the increase in threat). A representative sample of 1,018 Jewish-Israeli adults was recruited online. A baseline assessment commenced 2 days prior to the identification of the first case, followed by 6 weekly assessments. Latent mixture modeling analyses revealed the presence of 3 trajectories: 1) "threat-sensitivity" (29% and 66%, for general and virus-specific anxiety, respectively), 2) panic (12% and 25%), and 3) complacency (29% and 9%). For general anxiety only, a fourth class representing a stable mid-level anxiety was identified ("balanced": 30%). For general anxiety, women and the initially anxious—both generally and specifically from the spread of the virus—were more likely to belong to the panic class. Men and older participants were more likely to belong to the complacency class. Findings indicate a marked heterogeneity in anxiety responses to the first wave of the spread of COVID-19, including a large group evincing a "balanced" response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does exposure to terrorism affect political attitudes? This paper presents a new individual-level psychobiological model of political attitudes. Using a unique individual-level data of personal exposure to terrorism, a physiological marker of inflammation (CRP) and a psychological measure of perception of threat to an ongoing conflict—the Israel-Palestinian Conflict—we assess the effect of personal exposure to terrorism on militant attitudes concerning the conflict. Our data of physiological (blood samples), psychological, and attitudinal factors were collected in Israel during a military escalation along the Gaza Strip border. The findings reveal that among people personally exposed to terrorism, the perception of threat mediates an association between physiological conditions and militant attitudes. These findings contribute to the emerging literature on the biopolitics of political violence, suggesting a renewed focus on the dynamic interplay between physiological, psychological, and political factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Depersonalization–derealization (DEP‐DER) is a dissociative experience which is related to psychopathology and distress. Yet, the aetiological factors leading to DEP‐DER are not sufficiently clear. In this study, we suggest rumination as one possible antecedent. Thus, the goal of the study was to explore the longitudinal relationship between rumination and DEP‐DER. Design: Longitudinal self‐report study; mixed clinical and community sample. Methods: The study was conducted on 98 participants, 49 of them were diagnosed with depression, anxiety disorders, or obsessive–compulsive disorder, and the other 49 were healthy, matched community controls. The participants underwent a structured clinical interview and completed a battery of questionnaires. Then, the participants completed the same battery again once a month, for five additional assessment points (6 months in total). The data were analysed using multilevel linear modelling with time‐lag analysis. Results: We found that levels of rumination and DEP‐DER increased and decreased simultaneously, meaning that on assessments in which people reported that they tended to ruminate, they also reported higher levels of DEP‐DER symptoms. In addition, we found support for a unidirectional association, consistent with our theoretical hypothesis. Specifically, rumination levels on a certain month longitudinally predicted a higher likeliness for reporting DEP‐DER on the following month, even when controlling for the contemporaneous relationship. Conversely, DEP‐DER symptoms did not longitudinally predict increased rumination. Conclusions: These findings suggest that rumination may be an antecedent of DEP‐DER, but not vice versa. Possible mechanisms to explain this link are discussed. Practitioner points: Rumination and DEP‐DER oscillate together over time; additionally, rumination predicts a longitudinal increase in DEP‐DER.Clinicians noticing ruminative thought followed by decreased emotionality should distinguish between an authentic decrease of distress versus detachment.The findings provide one possible explanation for the frequency of DEP‐DER symptoms in anxiety and depressive disorders.Poor sleep quality and emotion regulation difficulties should be explored as potential mediators explaining this link. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the theoretical and empirical literature on the role of self-concept in suicidal behavior in the context of mood disorders (i.e., unipolar depression and bipolar spectrum disorders). The main themes emanating from this review are then juxtaposed against (a) the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide and (b) biological research on the role of inflammatory processes in suicidality. Such a juxtaposition paves the way for a bio-cognitive-interpersonal hypothesis. Pathologies of the self-concept-primarily self-criticism-propel mood disorder sufferers to generate interpersonal stress that culminates in two proximal causes of suicidality: thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness. In turn, these two interpersonal conditions set in motion systemic biosystemic inflammation, serving as a proximal cause for suicidality in mood disorders. We conclude by describing a research project aimed at testing this hypothesis, and by outlining pertinent implications for assessment, treatment, and prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]