Comparison of the Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Emotion-Based Therapy on Body Image Dissatisfaction in People with Eating Disorder Symptoms

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and emotion-focused therapy on body image dissatisfaction in people with eating disorder symptoms. The research method was quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test with a control group and a follow-up period. The statistical population of the study included patients with eating disorders in Chamran Hospital. A total of 36 patients were selected by convenience sampling method and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group (12 individuals in each group) and completed the Body Image Concern Questionnaire by Littleton et al. The first group received mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and the second group received emotion-based treatment and the control group did not receive treatment. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. The results showed that the level of dissatisfaction with body image in both experimental groups significantly decreased compared to the control group, but there was no significant difference between the two treatments. Therefore, it can be concluded that both mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and emotion-focused therapy can reduce body image dissatisfaction, and therapists can use both approaches for people with eating disorder symptoms.