Evaluating the Effectiveness of Metacognitive Techniques in Reducing Body Dissatisfaction Among Pakistani Young Adults: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trail
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55737/rl.v5i1.26179Keywords:
Metacognitive Intervention, Body Dissatisfaction, Body Cathexis Scale, Dropout RateAbstract
Body dissatisfaction among young adults is related with poor mental health, low self- esteem and eating disorders. Factors include unrealistic beauty standards, psychological factors, and distorted body image beliefs. This pilot randomized controlled trial examined the efficacy of metacognitive intervention in reducing body dissatisfaction in Pakistani undergraduates. Initially, 16 participants (age 18-25) were recruited, but after 6 dropouts, the final sample included 10 participants who completed all four sessions. There were 5 participants randomly assigned to each the MCT and Control group. The MCT group received a metacognitive intervention over two weeks, including mindfulness grounding, self-monitoring, diffusion, and acceptance strategies, based on Wells’ Metacognitive Model (2009). The Control group listened nature sounds without therapeutic input. Body dissatisfaction was measured pre- and post-intervention using the Body Cathexis Scale (BCS). Mann–Whitney U test was used to assess between-group difference, revealing no significant difference between pre-test scores (U = 8.00, p = .346), but significant improvement in post-test scores (U = 0.00, p = .009). A Wilcoxon Signed–Ranks was used to assess within-group differences that confirmed a significant pre-post-test difference (Z= -2.06, P= .039). The finding indicates that brief MCT can significantly decrease body dissatisfaction in young adults. Even with the limitation of small sample size and attrition, results show potential for affordable and sustainable mental health strategies. To validate additional studies with larger samples are suggested to assess long-term possessions.
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