Effectiveness of Attention Training Technique on the Metacognitions of Adolescent Girls with Trichotillomania Disorder

Introduction: Trichotillomania disorder (TTM) is associated with significant psychological distress, social impairment, and a higher prevalence rate than expected in relation to myriad psychological factors. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of psychological training attention techniques on the metacognitions of teenage girls with hair-cutting obsessions. Materials & Methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental one that happened in Arak, Iran, in 2024. Twenty girls in the age range of 15 to 18 years with obsessive-compulsive disorder based on the available sampling method by referring to the psychological clinic. The experimental group received eight attention training sessions. The participants in the research completed the trichotillomania and metacognitive beliefs questionnaire before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS V.22 and univariate analysis of covariance with a significance level of less than 0.05. Results: All of the girls in the experimental and control groups were single, between the ages of 15 and 18, and had TTM. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of age or TTM. However, there was a big difference between the groups on the post-test of cognitive uncertainty, the need to control thoughts, positive beliefs about worry, uncontrollability, and the danger of thought (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Technical training influences positive beliefs about uncontrollability and risk, beliefs about cognitive uncertainty, cognitive self-awareness, and negative beliefs about superstitious thinking, punishment, and responsibility in adolescent girls.