The Effects of Mindfulness Training on Psychological Flexibility and Self-Regulation Behavior in Overweight Adolescents

Background: Emotional eating has already been linked to certain predictors and correlates. So, the aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness and diet training on psychological flexibility and self-regulation behavior in overweight adolescents.Materials & Methods: The present study was an applied and semi-experimental pretest-posttest design with control group. The statistical population of this study included all female adolescents of the first high school in Tonekabon, Iran, who were studying in the academic year of ۲۰۱۸-۲۰۱۹, among which ۳۰ students were selected by multistage cluster sampling method using random sampling method in two groups of mindfulness training (n=۱۵), and control group (n=۱۵). Data were collected using The Brawan et al. Self-Regulation Questionnaire (۱۹۹۱), Bond et al.'s The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (۲۰۱۱) in two periods before and after the mindfulness intervention. Data were analysed using SPSS software version ۲۲.۰.Results: According to the results of covariance analysis of mindfulness training showed on mental flexibility that mindfulness training was effective on mental flexibility of overweight adolescent girls with F = ۱۶۱.۴۷ and P <۰.۰۰۵. Moreover, these results showed that mindfulness training has been effective on mental flexibility of overweight adolescents with F = ۳۷۶.۲۸ and P <۰.۰۰۵.Conclusion: Based on the results, mindfulness training is effective in improving mental flexibility and self-regulatory behavior in the tendency of overweight adolescents in the first year of high school with a body mass index above ۲۱.۵ (BMI≥۲۱.۵). Therefore, mindfulness training method is an efficient, practical and effective method in improving mental flexibility and self-regulatory behavior and can be used by counselors and therapists to improve mental flexibility and self-regulatory behavior.