Treatment Beliefs and Preferences for Psychological Therapies for Weight Management

Abstract

Objective: Treatment beliefs and preferences for psychological therapies were investigated in 80 overweight individuals trying to manage their weight. Method: Participants read 4 therapy descriptions: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), behavior therapy (BT), cognitive therapy (CT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). They ranked the treatments in order of preference, explained the reason for their preferred choice, and reported their beliefs about each approach. Results: Individual CBT (43.42%) and BT (31.58%), delivered face-to-face or technologically, were the most preferred treatment options, while ACT (17.12%) and CT (7.89%) were the least preferred. The main reasons cited among those who chose CBT and BT were perceived comprehensiveness and the practical nature of the approach, respectively. Treatment beliefs were strongly predicted by psychological need satisfaction as well as perceived ease and effort. Conclusions: Further research should ascertain the stability of treatment beliefs and the efficacy of modifying the treatment context to meet individual needs.