Internet-Based Treatment of Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Abstract

Initial findings indicate the effectiveness of internet-based interventions for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). In order to substantiate these findings, a seven-module guided internet-based intervention was created and examined. We report the mixed data of participants with clinical and subclinical BDD of the treatment group (n = 18). We investigated the feasibility, the quality of the program content, the design and usability, and its effects on symptom severity and related psychopathology. Adherence to the intervention was low and dropout rate high (55.6%). The program content, perceived website usability, and visual aesthetic were rated high. Credibility and expectancy were on a medium level. Satisfaction with appearance improved significantly in the intention-to-treat analysis (d = 0.58). In sum, symptom-related outcomes and program evaluation showed a positive trend albeit the study conduction was difficult. Future programs should investigate the role of additional motivation strategies and more flexible support addressing the known treatment barriers.

The use of coaching in smartphone app-based cognitive behavioral therapy for body dysmorphic disorder

“…Early studies show that digital CBT content can be delivered safely and effectively for BDD. Although retention rates vary widely (55 % - 95 %), consistent with the broader digital mental health literature, individuals who provide outcomes data tend to assign digital CBT-BDD high acceptability and satisfaction ratings ( Enander et al, 2016 ; Schoenenberg et al, 2023 ; Rautio et al, 2023 ; Wilhelm et al, 2022 ).…”

“…These technologies allow standardized, evidence-based tools to be available continuously and in digestible, interactive formats. To date, multiple internet-based CBT-BDD interventions ( Enander et al, 2016 ; Gentile et al, 2019 ; Enander et al, 2014 ; Schoenenberg et al, 2023 ; Rautio et al, 2023 ; Hartmann et al, 2021 ) and one smartphone app-based CBT-BDD (Perspectives) have been developed ( Wilhelm et al, 2020b ; Wilhelm et al, n.d. ). Early studies show that digital CBT content can be delivered safely and effectively for BDD.…”

Enhancing self-esteem in adults with body dysmorphic symptoms: experimental testing and initial evaluation of a brief internet-based training

“…Both trainings consist of five sessions, with each expected to take about 20 minutes. The trainings were original components of a comprehensive guided web-based cognitive behavioural treatment for BDD (imagin; Schoenenberg et al, 2023). The imagin program is theoretically based on the cognitive behavioural model by Veale and Neziroglu (2010).…”

“…Furthermore, a module-based structure allows testing different modules for their specific effect on certain outcomes. For this reason, in our first study (Study 1) we experimentally offer two modules of the internet-based intervention program imagin for BDD (Schoenenberg et al, 2023) separately and compare their effect on different outcome measures. In the self-esteem module, participants learn about the concept and role of an unstable self-esteem in BDD and explore additional facets of self-esteem beyond appearance.…”