Investigating the Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Anxiety and Self-Criticism in Students with Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in reducing anxiety and self-criticism among female students with body dysmorphic disorder in Isfahan. This experimental study utilized a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with control and experimental groups. The statistical population consisted of all students diagnosed with body dysmorphic disorder who referred to counseling and psychotherapy centers in Isfahan. Forty girls were purposefully selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Research instruments included the Spence Anxiety Scale (1998) and the Self-Criticism Scale (Thompson & Zuroff, 2004). The experimental group received eight 90-minute ACT sessions, while the control group remained on a waiting list. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests. Results revealed significant differences in anxiety and self-criticism scores across pre-test, post-test, and follow-up stages (p<0.001). The interaction effect of time and group was also significant, indicating that ACT substantially reduced anxiety and self-criticism in the experimental group compared to the control group. Bonferroni tests confirmed that the reductions observed in the post-test and follow-up phases were statistically significant. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy effectively reduces anxiety and self-criticism in students with body dysmorphic disorder by enhancing psychological flexibility, reducing experiential avoidance, and promoting acceptance of inner experiences. Therefore, ACT can be considered a valuable psychological intervention for adolescents with body image-related anxiety and self-critical tendencies.