ACT-Based Group Therapy and Mobile Application Intervention for Emotional Eating

NCT07559552 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 36721-4/17
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 78
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aims to evaluate the effects of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based group therapy program, combined with an ACT-based mobile app, on emotional eating, emotion regulation, and psychological flexibility in overweight individuals. Emotional eating is a condition in which individuals frequently use eating behavior as a coping mechanism for negative emotions. Participants will be randomly assigned to intervention groups receiving ACT-based group therapy, ACT-based group therapy combined with an ACT-based mobile app, or a control group. The intervention will last six weeks and will include structured group sessions as well as mobile-based exercises, reminders, and coping strategies. Outcome measures will include emotional eating, emotion regulation, and psychological flexibility. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, post-intervention, and during the follow-up phase. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the development of accessible and effective interventions for emotional eating.

Conditions

Emotional Eating; Emotion Regulation; Overweight; Psychological Flexibility

Keywords

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Emotional Eating; Emotion Regulation; Psychological Flexibility; Mobile Health (mHealth); Mobile Application; Group Therapy; Overweight; Digital Intervention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Emotional Eating Level

  Participants' levels of emotional eating will be assessed using a validated and reliable self-report scale. The DEBQ Emotional Eating subscale will be used in the assessment. The scale measures individuals' eating behaviors in response to emotional states such as stress, sadness, and anxiety. Higher scores indicate higher levels of emotional eating behavior.

  Baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks), and 3-month follow-up.

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Changes in Emotion Regulation Skills

  Baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks), and 3-month follow-up.

• Changes in Acceptance and Action Form-II (AAP-II) Scores

  Baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks), and 3-month follow-up.

Study Arms (3)

ACT Group Therapy

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will undergo a six-week structured group therapy program based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Behavioral: ACT-Based Group Therapy

ACT Group Therapy + Mobile Application

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive six weeks of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based group therapy, and will have access to an ACT-based mobile application to support the therapy process.

Behavioral: ACT-Based Group Therapy; Behavioral: ACT-Based Mobile Application

Waitlist Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in this group will be placed on a waiting list and will not receive any intervention during the study. They will have access to the mobile application after the study is completed.

Interventions

ACT-Based Group Therapy BEHAVIORAL

The Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based group therapy program is structured as one session per week for six weeks. Sessions will last 60-90 minutes. The sessions will focus on the core ACT processes: acceptance, cognitive dissociation, being present, contextual self, value identification, and value-oriented action. Psychoeducation, experiential exercises, mindfulness practices, and group sharing will be used during the sessions. Homework and practice tasks will be assigned between sessions to support participants in applying the skills they learn to their daily lives.

ACT Group Therapy; ACT Group Therapy + Mobile Application

ACT-Based Mobile Application BEHAVIORAL

The ACT-based mobile application was developed to support the therapy process. The application offers psychoeducational content, ACT-based exercises, reminders, motivational messages, and tools to support the application of skills in daily life. It also allows users to monitor their mood and eating behaviors.

Also known as: ACTivity

ACT Group Therapy + Mobile Application

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Agreeing to participate in the study,
• Being between 18-65 years of age,
• Having a body mass index ≤ 25 (BMI ≤ 29.9),
• Being able to read and write,
• Having an iOS or Android smartphone,
• Having internet access,
• Having a home environment suitable for online sessions (having a computer/smartphone, internet access at home, the patient being able to be alone in the room during the session, etc.),

You may not qualify if:

• Having communication problems that would prevent the interview,
• Having a diagnosis of a mental disorder, including an eating disorder, that would prevent participation in the study, or having concomitant serious medical conditions that could potentially jeopardize study participation.
• Having undergone bariatric surgery. • Being on the waiting list for bariatric surgery.
• Being pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant within the next 6 months.
• Receiving therapy/counseling for emotional eating and emotion regulation problems,
• Using a mobile application for emotional eating and emotion regulation problems,

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Saglik Bilimleri Universitesi: lead

Study Sites (1)

Zonguldak Atatürk State Hospital

Zonguldak, Merkez, 67000, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Litwin R, Goldbacher EM, Cardaciotto L, Gambrel LE. Negative emotions and emotional eating: the mediating role of experiential avoidance. Eat Weight Disord. 2017 Mar;22(1):97-104. doi: 10.1007/s40519-016-0301-9. Epub 2016 Jul 26.

  PMID: 27460010 BACKGROUND

• Guerrini Usubini A, Cattivelli R, Radaelli A, Bottacchi M, Landi G, Tossani E, Grandi S, Castelnuovo G, Sartorio A. Preliminary Results from the ACTyourCHANGE in Teens Protocol: A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Adolescents with Obesity. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 5;19(9):5635. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19095635.

  PMID: 35565031 BACKGROUND

• Saritas M, Sukut O. The Effect of Solution-Focused Group Counseling on Emotional Eating Levels in University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Psychol Rep. 2024 Oct 22:332941241293697. doi: 10.1177/00332941241293697. Online ahead of print.

  PMID: 39435764 BACKGROUND

Related Links

• mobile app Android link

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Emotional Eating; Emotional Regulation; Overweight

Interventions

Exercise

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Feeding Behavior; Behavior; Self-Control; Social Behavior; Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Central Study Contacts

Merve Sarıtaş Arslan, RN, MSc

CONTACT

+90 544 673 71 55; saritas.merve@hotmail.com

Elvan Emine Ata, Associate Professor, PhD

CONTACT

+90 505 316 47 07; elvanemine.ata@sbu.edu.tr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PhD Student

Model Details: Participants will be randomly assigned to three groups (ACT-based group therapy, ACT-based group therapy + mobile application, and waiting list control group) and will remain in their assigned group for the duration of the study. All groups will be conducted in parallel.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 22, 2026
• First Posted: April 30, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): June 15, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2026
• Last Updated: April 30, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Locations

TU (1)