Comparison of the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy on self-management in obese people

Obesity is a pervasive problem that can severely impair physical health. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy on self-management in obese people.

The present study was a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest with follow-up and control group. The statistical population of the study included all patients referred to the counseling and psychological center of the best way in Qazvin in 1398 who were diagnosed with obesity by physicians and nutritionists. Using purposive sampling method, 60 people were selected and randomly assigned to three groups (dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy and control) (20 people in each group). Cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy were performed for 10 sessions for the experimental groups and no treatment was performed for the control group. The bariatric surgery self-management questionnaire was completed by the participants in the pre-test, post-test and six-month follow-up stages. Mixed analysis of variance test was used to analyze the data.

Due to the difference between the test stages after performing two interventions of dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy, group membership and interaction of stages and groups were significant for self-management (P <0.05). The effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy was greater than cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Based on the results of this study, it seems that dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy can be effective in increasing self-management in obese people.