Transdiagnostic treatment (UP-A) on shame, self-criticism, emotional eating and emotional dysregulation in obese adolescents: A randomized controlled trial

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment - adolescent version- on shame, self-criticism, emotional eating and difficulties in emotion regulation in adolescents suffering from obesity. Method: In a randomized controlled trial, 30 female adolescents were recruited by convenience sampling from three nutrition clinics and randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. The experimental group went through 16 weekly treatment sessions of UP-A. Both groups were assessed at pre-tests and re-assessed after the intervention and 3 months follow-up. Body image shame scale, difficulties in emotion regulation scale, self-criticizing and reassuring scale, and emotional eating subscale of Dutch eating behavior questionnaire, and were used to measure body shame, self-critical attitudes, emotional eating, and emotional dysregulations, respectively. Results: Mixed analysis of variance (P-value <0.05) showed that UP-A significantly reduced body shame (F=19.28, P=0.00, eta 2= 0.40), self-criticism including {inadequate Self (F=11.22, P=0.00, eta 2=0.28), Hated Self (F=9.66, P=0.00, eta 2=0.25), Reassuring Self (F=11.01, P=0.00, eta 2= 0.28)}; emotional eating (F=13.94, P=0.00, eta 2=0.33) and difficulties in emotion regulation (F=10.41, P=0.00, eta 2=0.27) in teens with obesity. Conclusion: The findings suggest that UP-A treatment offers a promising avenue through which emotional problems could be alleviated in obese adolescents.