Using and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Approach in Group Therapy to Alleviate Preoccupation with Body Weight in Universitas Indonesia Students

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based therapy for increasing psychological flexibility. In this study, ACT helped individuals who evaluated themselves negatively with regard to their body weight. Specifically, this preliminary study aimed to alleviate students’ preoccupation with being overweight through the application of a brief group ACT. Four students from Universitas Indonesia who experienced preoccupation with their body weight were provided with the ACT-based intervention once a week for three weeks. This study was conducted in a one-group, before-after setting with non-random sampling. An MBSRQ-AS measurement was administered to all four students at pretest, post-test, and two-week follow-up. Our data showed that a reduction in their score on MBSRQ-AS measured from an average 3.63 at pretest to 2.63 at post-test, which it maintained at follow-up, at an average of 2.50. This result indicates an alleviation of preoccupation with body weight. Cohesiveness in the group was found to facilitate more openness and acceptance among the students during the group intervention; in addition, the group dynamics allowed the students to learn from each other’s experiences. Therefore, preoccupation with body weight can be eased by the application of a brief ACT in a group setting. Future research is needed in the larger and wider population range, such as in middle and late adulthood.