Clinical Round Table 6 - CBT with Jewish Youth: Meeting the Moment and Beyond

Jews are a small proportion of the U.S. population. However, they are disproportionately victims of hate crime, accounting for 68% of religious-bias crimes. Currently, antisemitic incidents aimed at Jewish children and adolescents are rising exponentially with one study citing a 135% increase. Nearly three-quarters of Jewish parents reported their child was the target of antisemitic bullying. Unsurprisingly, Jewish youth are at-risk for various psychological disorders. Yet, until recently, little clinical attention has been directed toward these vulnerable families. The roundtable begins with a description of how antisemitism manifests across clinical and educational contexts as well as antisemitism's potential negative mental health sequalae among Jewish youth and adults. Avenues of intervention to mitigate the effects of antisemitism and increase resilience among Jewish youth and adults are suggested. Traumatic invalidation (TI) in the Jewish community is the focus of the second presentation. TI refers to the denial, dismissal, or minimization of emotional pain compounding antisemitism’s harm. Further, the combination of antisemitism and its invalidation contribute to trauma symptoms, erosion of identity, and long-term risks to mental health and well-being. The second presentation demonstrates how naming and addressing these invisible wounds builds trauma-informed pathways that foster resilience and healing. The third presentation discusses how cultural influences in Judaism impact clinical presentations and treatment considerations for Jewish youth with eating disorders. The role of Shabbat and food-centered holidays, fast days, Jewish dietary laws, body image, modesty expectations, the rabbi, and potential stigma in the treatment of adolescent eating disorders are explicitly addressed. Ways to incorporate these considerations into CBT for Jewish adolescents with eating disorders are delineated. The fourth presentation proposes clinical interventions based on Judaic metaphors that are suitable for Jewish youth who are experiencing numerous emotional/behavioral difficulties. The discussant offers synthesizing remarks and recommendations for future clinical/ research directions.