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Asadollah Salmanpoor F, Marashian F S, Safarzadeh S, Hafezi F. Effectiveness of Stress Inoculation and Mindfulness Training on Dysmorphic Concerns and Self-acceptance. Pract Clin Psychol 2026; 14 (4) :347-356
URL: http://jpcp.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-1111-en.html

Objective: Body image concerns significantly impair adolescent psychological wellbeing. This quasi-experimental study compared the effectiveness of stress inoculation training (SIT) and mindfulness skills training (MST) on metacognitive appraisal of dysmorphic concerns, unconditional self-acceptance, and conditional self-acceptance among female adolescents with elevated dysmorphic concerns.
Methods: Conducted in 2025 in Ahvaz City, Iran, this study used a pretest-posttest design with a 2-month follow-up and a wait-list control group. Of 112 screened adolescents, 45 eligible female high school students (aged 14–18 years) were randomly assigned to SIT (9 sessions, n=15), MST (8 sessions, n=15), or control (n=15). We collected data using the dysmorphic concern questionnaire, body dysmorphic metacognition questionnaire, and unconditional self-acceptance questionnaire (USAQ). Data were analyzed with mixed-design repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni post-hoc tests. A priori power analysis was not performed due to the pilot nature of the study.
Results: Both SIT and MST produced significant improvements with large effect sizes (η² ranging from 0.39 to 0.77) in metacognitive appraisal of dysmorphic concerns (reduced scores), unconditional self-acceptance (increased scores), and conditional self-acceptance (reduced scores) from pretest to posttest and two-month follow-up compared to the control group (P<0.001). No significant differences were observed between the SIT and MST groups at any time point, and treatment gains were maintained at follow-up.
Conclusion: SIT and MST appear equally effective in reducing dysfunctional metacognitive appraisals and enhancing self-acceptance in this sample. However, the small, female-only sample from a single city and the lack of structured diagnostic interviews limit generalizability; interpret results cautiously.