The Predictability of Cyberbullying and Psychological Distress in Anorexia Nervosa Disorder among Jordanian Universities Students

Abstract

Objectives: The study aimed to determine the percentage of explained variation demonstrated by cyberbullying and psychological distress in Anorexia Nervosa Disorder among Jordanian university students. Additionally, it aimed to investigate whether this percentage varies based on gender. Methods: The study sample consisted of 988 male and female Jordanian university students. Cyberbullying, psychological distress, and Anorexia Nervosa Disorder were measured to achieve the study's purpose. Results: The results indicated that 5.36% of students had Anorexia Nervosa Disorder, with 18.87% being male and 81.13% being female. A chi-square analysis showed no significant differences in the prevalence of Anorexia Nervosa based on gender. The study also found that psychological distress, flat pattern versus neutral, and victim's pattern versus neutral had predictive power for Anorexia Nervosa among university students. However, flat pattern/victim versus neutral and gender had no predictive power. Furthermore, the correct classification rate for identifying individuals with or without Anorexia Nervosa reached 93.9% for both groups, with 60 views classified incorrectly and a possibility of total error at 6.1%. Conclusions: Based on these results, the researchers recommend that educational institutions, especially universities, pay attention to Anorexia Nervosa Disorder and its relationship to cyberbullying and psychological distress. They also suggest directing the attention of workers in the field of psychological counseling towards establishing the main lines of psychological counseling and suitable treatment methods for Anorexia Nervosa Disorder.