Background and purpose: Body dysmorphic disorder is one of the common disorders in which adolescents pay excessive attention to their appearances. It causes disruptions to both individual and social life. This study investigated the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on body dissatisfaction and fear of negative evaluation in high school girls with body dysmorphic disorder.

Materials and methods: An experimental study (pre-test, post-test design) was performed in which 30 female high school students with body dysmorphic disorder were recruited. The participants were selected using multistage random sampling and divided into experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The experimental group attended an eight-week ACT programme (1.5 hr) while the control group received no intervention. Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IV (SCID-I), body dissatisfaction questionnaire, and fear of negative evaluation questionnaire were used in pre-test and posttest stages.

Results: ACT produced significant reductions in body dissatisfaction (P<0.01) and fear of negative evaluation (P<0.01) in post-test.

Conclusion: Based on this study, ACT therapy could be used as an efficient intervention for reduction of body dissatisfaction and fear of negative evaluation in high school girls with body dysmorphic disorder.