Adapting CBT-E for the Middle East: addressing regional gaps in eating-disorder treatment (opens in new tab)

Eating disorders were regarded as Western conditions, yet recent evidence shows that they do occur across the Middle East and North Africa. Despite this, the region remains underserved: specialized services are scarce, awareness is limited, and mental health stigma persists. For many years, patients were misdiagnosed, treated only after medical crises, or managed with non-specialized, eclectic psychotherapeutic approaches not designed for eating disorders. Moreover, established treatments, de...