Effectiveness of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Weight Loss, Stress, Anxiety, and Depression via Virtual Group Therapy

 The obesity crisis is one of the major public health issues in the 21st century, and depression, anxiety, and stress are the psychological factors that mediate obesity.

 This research was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (ICBT) in reducing body mass index (BMI), stress, anxiety, and depression in overweight women via a virtual group.

 This randomized controlled trial study was conducted on three groups of the experiment, the waiting list, and the treatment-as-usual. It was done as single-phase, single-center, and double-blinded. The statistical population included all women with BMI ≥ 25 in Neyshabur city in 2019 - 2020. The research sample included 90 subjects randomly assigned to the groups. The therapeutic intervention was applied in the form of 42 ICBT sessions using a virtual WhatsApp group. The participants completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), and their BMI was also calculated before and after the sessions.

 The analysis of covariance indicated the significant effect of ICBT on the reduction of BMI compared to the usual treatment group and waiting list group [F (72, 2) = 15.54, P < 0.0005; Partialη2 = 0.30]. However, it was not significant on the reduction of stress [F (72, 2) = 0.47, P = 0.63; Partialη2 = 0.01], anxiety [F (72, 2) = 0.49, P = 0.61; Partialη2 = 0.01], and depression [F (72, 2) = 0.06, P = 0.93; Partialη2 = 0.002].

 The present study showed the direct effect of ICBT on the reduction of BMI like the treatment-as-usual for obesity. However, these sessions could not reduce the participants’ stress, anxiety, and depression.