Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of mindfulness-based binge improvement program on binge eating behavior and its associated psychological factors in female university students. Participants in this study were university students who were prone to binge eating disorders. Twenty-nine students were selected using BES (Binge Eating Scale) and BIS (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale). They were randomly assigned to a mindfulness group (n=14) and a control group (n=15). The mindfulness program was administered for six sessions (60 minutes each, twice a week). The mindfulness group and the control group completed pre-test, post-test, and follow-up test at three weeks. As a measurement tool, BES, Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R), BIS, the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-P), Stop Signal Task (SST), and Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale Revised (CAMS-R) were used. Results showed that binge eating behavior, emotional eating, anxiety, depression, impulsivity were significantly decreased in the mindfulness group compared to those in the control group at post-test. Such decreases were kept at the 3-week follow-up test. Regarding the Stop-Signal Task, stop signal delay time (SSD) and go signal reaction time (GORT) of the mindfulness group were longer than those of the control group at both post-test and the 3-week follow-up test. Longer SSD and GORT indicated a decrease of inhibition deficit. However, stop signal reaction time (SSRT) was not significantly different between the mindfulness group and the control group. Implications for results of this study and suggestions for future research were discussed.