The effectiveness of mindfulness group therapy on controlling emotions and body image in female students with bulimia nervosa
Pardis Habibzadeh Miandoab, Reza Kazemi, A. Kiamarsi
Rooyesh Psychological Journal April 1, 2026 DOI: 10.66224/rooyesh.15.2.221 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental study with pre-test-post-test control group and three-month follow-up Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | Female university students with bulimia nervosa in Miandoab, academic year 2023-2024 |
| Intervention | Kabat-Zinn mindfulness group therapy |
| Duration | 8 sessions of 70 minutes each, with a three-month follow-up period |
| Measures | Williams et al. Emotional Control Questionnaire (ACQ, 1997), Marsh Body Image Questionnaire (PSDQ, 1996) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness group therapy was associated with significant improvements in emotional control and body image from pre-test to post-test (significant at the 0.001 level), and these improvements were maintained at three-month follow-up with no significant post-test to follow-up difference at the 0.001 level. The authors conclude it is an appropriate intervention for this population. |
Abstract
The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness group therapy on controlling emotions and body image in female students with bulimia nervosa. The research method was a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group and a three-month follow-up period. The statistical population of this study included female students with bulimia nervosa at universities in Miandoab in the academic year 2023-2024. From this population, 40 people were selected using the convenience sampling method and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups (20 people in each group). The experimental group underwent 8 70-minute sessions of Kabat-Zinn mindfulness group therapy, and the control group did not receive any intervention. The measurement tools in this study were the Williams et al. Emotional Control Questionnaire (ACQ, 1997) and the Marsh Body Image Questionnaire (PSDQ, 1996). Statistical data analysis was performed using the repeated measures analysis of variance method. The findings showed that there was a significant difference at the 0.001 level between the pre-test and post-test of emotional control and body image in the experimental and control groups, and there was no significant difference at the 0.001 level between the mean of the post-test and follow-up in the experimental group, and the results were maintained during the follow-up period. Based on the results of the study, it can be said that mindfulness group therapy was an appropriate intervention method for improving emotional control and body image in female students with bulimia nervosa.