Media representations play an important role in producing sociocultural pressures. Despite social and legal progress in civil rights, restrictive gender-based representations appear to be still very pervasive in some contexts. The article explores scientific research on the relationship between media representations and gender stereotypes, objectification and sexualization, focusing on their presence in the cultural context. Results show how stereotyping, objectifying and sexualizing representations appear to be still very common across a number of contexts. Exposure to stereotyping representations appears to strengthen beliefs in gender stereotypes and endorsement of gender role norms, as well as fostering sexism, harassment and violence in men and stifling career-related ambitions in women. Exposure to objectifying and sexualizing representations appears to be associated with the internalization of cultural ideals of appearance, endorsement of sexist attitudes and tolerance of abuse and body shame. In turn, factors associated with exposure to these representations have been linked to detrimental effects on physical and psychological well-being, such as eating disorder symptomatology, increased body surveillance and poorer body image quality of life. However, specificities in the pathways from exposure to detrimental effects on well-being are involved for certain populations that warrant further research.

Purpose: Image-Based Sexual Abuse (IBSA) is a recently studied form of violence and abuse perpetrated using technology. This systematic review aims to examine and systematize studies exploring factors associated with IBSA (e.g., victimization, perpetration, and propensity to perpetrate). Method: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement, 17 articles were included. Results: The results of this study highlighted conceptual and methodological limitations in the literature on IBSA. Aside from these limitations, this systematic review identified factors associated with IBSA, focusing on four macro-areas: victimization, perpetration, propensity to perpetrate IBSA, and IBSA implications. The results demonstrated the role of psychological, relational, and social variables, although the effect sizes observed in the quantitative studies were small or in few cases moderate. Conclusions: These results suggest further research should be carried out to explore the multidimensionality of IBSA and its associated factors, which may assist in guiding interventions to promote preventive and rehabilitative methods to lower the prevalence of this crime and its consequences.

Same-sex intimate partner violence (SSIPV) is a serious health concern and may manifest in various forms. Nevertheless, controlling behaviors of isolation are still poorly investigated. Due to their marginalized status, sexual minorities can face SSIPV-specific risk factors, such as internalized homonegativity, as well as general psychological stress factors, such as emotion dysregulation. While the literature is growing, there is still a lack of understanding of the complex pathways linking sexual minorities and minority stress to IPV and isolating controlling behavior. To fill this gap, we explored the relation between internalized homonegativity and controlling behaviors of isolation, assessing the mediating role of emotion dysregulation. In total, 120 gay and lesbian people (mean age = 33.8, SD = 11.5) involved in a same-sex relationship participated in the study. Results showed a direct and positive association between internalized homonegativity and difficulties in emotion regulation and a direct and positive association between emotion dysregulation and controlling behaviors of isolation; the mediating role of emotion dysregulation in the relation between internalized homonegativity and isolating controlling behaviors was supported as well. Emerging results can provide valuable information at the clinical level, although further studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.

Several psychotherapeutic interventions are recommended for Eating Disorders (EDs), chiefly individual cognitive-behavioral therapy and family-based treatments. Manualized individual psychodynamic treatments are recommended for adults with Anorexia Nervosa (AN). Evaluation of psychodynamic group treatments in treating EDs requires further assessment, and recent reviews focused only marginally on this topic. To fill this gap, a narrative review through APA PsychInfo, PubMed and Scopus was carried out. Psychodynamic group treatments appear to improve some ED symptoms at the end of the treatment; however, most of the studies cited were not manualized and lacked control groups and follow-ups. The differences in therapeutic methods and the criteria used to measure remission across the studies included, as well as the incorporation of diverse interventions (including psychodynamic group therapy and elements of BT/CBT or psychoeducation), create difficulties when it comes to forming conclusive judgments about the effectiveness of psychodynamic group therapies for Eating Disorders. The need for more rigorous research and Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) is evident.

As has been widely documented, minority stress affects the psychosocial well-being of gay and lesbian people. Recently, researchers have turned their attention to psychological factors that may influence the level of minority stress experienced, in order to explain individual differences in perceptions of proximal minority stressors. The present research aimed at assessing the effect of attachment avoidance and anxiety on levels of perceived stigma and internalized homonegativity. A total of 163 participants who self-identified as lesbian or gay (Mage = 32.56, SD = 10.87) were recruited and responded to the self-report questionnaires. Two multiple regression models were applied to assess the association between adult attachment and perceived stigma and internalized homonegativity. Results showed a positive association between attachment anxiety and avoidance and internalized homonegativity, as well as between attachment avoidance and perceived stigma. The emerging results demonstrate the impact of attachment anxiety and avoidance on proximal minority stressors and provide useful data for interventions addressing lesbian and gay people aimed at promoting security-based strategies of affect regulation and positive representations of self and others, which in turn may reduce the level of proximal minority stressors experienced and promote psychosocial well-being.

Attention to Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence (SSIPV) has increased in the last decades. Isolating behaviors, however, have been poorly studied, despite the increased vulnerability to isolation experienced by gay and lesbian couples. The aim of the present study was to examine the independent effects of minority stressors (experiences of discrimination, perceived stigma, and internalized homonegativity), emotion dysregulation, and adult attachment dimensions (attachment avoidance and anxiety) on isolating behaviors perpetration. One hundred and forty-eight gay or lesbian individuals (M_age = 32.48; SD = 10.91) involved in a same-sex relationship participated in the study and completed a self-report online questionnaire. A multiple regression model was used to examine the relationship between the variables in the study. Only attachment anxiety was associated with isolating behaviors. In contrast, attachment avoidance, experiences of discrimination, perceived stigma, internalized homonegativity, and emotion dysregulation did not influence perpetration of isolating behaviors. The present study highlights the influence of attachment anxiety on isolating behaviors, suggesting the role of dysfunctional mechanisms of interpersonal distance regulation. The obtained results provide information at the theoretical and clinical level.