International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences

Background and Aim: Women inclined toward cosmetic surgery often exhibit elevated physical appearance perfectionism and self-objectification, driven by societal pressures and media influences, which can lead to body dissatisfaction and psychological distress. This study investigated the effectiveness of integrated mindfulness and schema therapy in reducing these variables.

Materials and Methods: In a semi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control and follow-up group, 30 women from Tehran (2024–2025) were purposefully selected and randomly assigned to an experimental group (15 participants) and a control group (15 participants). The experimental group received eight weekly 90-minute group sessions of combined mindfulness and schema therapy based on the protocol. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS 26.

Results: Descriptive statistics showed more pronounced reductions in physical appearance perfectionism and self-objectification scores in the experimental group compared to controls from pretest to posttest and follow-up. Inferential analyses revealed significant between-group differences (p< 0.05), time effects (p< 0.001), and time-group interactions (p< 0.001). The effect sizes were medium to large (Ƞ² = 0.151–0.509), confirming the practical significance of the intervention.

Conclusion: This trial demonstrated that an integrative mindfulness–schema therapy protocol produced medium to large, sustained reductions in physical appearance perfectionism and self-objectification among women seeking cosmetic surgery. These effects underscore the clinical value of targeting appearance-related perfectionistic beliefs and objectifying self-schemas in pre- and post-surgical care. The pattern of findings aligns with improvements in transdiagnostic mechanisms such as emotion regulation and cognitive flexibility in body image concerns. Future research should test this brief, group-based protocol in broader cosmetic surgery and non-clinical populations to assess scalability and external validity.