Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Body Dissatisfaction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Behavioral Therapy

Background:

• Body dissatisfaction (BD) is a growing global concern linked to negative physical and psychological outcomes, including eating disorders (ED).
• Effective interventions are needed to reduce BD and prevent associated health issues.
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has shown potential for body image and weight concerns, but its efficacy for BD requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze the existing data on the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in reducing body dissatisfaction (BD).
• To evaluate ACT's efficacy in individuals with and without diagnosed eating disorders (ED).

Main Methods:

• A systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 studies involving 825 participants (741 analyzed) using individual, group, or online self-help ACT interventions for BD.
• Risk of bias was assessed, with a majority of studies (75%) found to have low to medium risk.
• The mean dropout rate across ACT interventions was 23.51%.

Main Results:

• ACT demonstrated significant efficacy in decreasing BD compared to control groups, with a medium effect size (g = 0.556).
• The strongest effects were observed in subgroups of participants at high risk for EDs (g = 0.631) and those using online self-help ACT (g = 0.563).

Conclusions:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an efficacious treatment for reducing body dissatisfaction (BD), particularly for high-risk individuals and through online self-help formats.
• ACT holds potential as a preventive measure against eating disorders (ED) and as an adjunct to existing ED treatments.
• Further large-scale, diverse international research is recommended to confirm these findings and explore broader applications.