Treatment utilization and treatment barriers in individuals with body dysmorphic disorder

Abstract

Background: Although effective treatments are available, most individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) do not receive an appropriate diagnosis or treatment. We aimed to examine treatment utilization and barriers to treatment, and to identify associated socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Methods: German individuals completed an online self-report survey of appearance concerns. A sample of N = 429 individuals met criteria for BDD. We examined the frequency of treatment utilization and barriers, analyzed comparisons between treated and untreated individuals and assessed the relationships of socio-demographic and clinical features with mental health treatment utilization and treatment barriers, respectively.Results: Only 15.2% of the individuals with BDD had been diagnosed with BDD, and lifetime rates of mental health treatment were low (39.9%). Individuals endorsed multiple barriers to mental health treatment, especially shame, low perceived need and a preference for cosmetic and medical treatments. Associated features were identified, including age, a BDD diagnosis, body dysmorphic symptom severity, a likely major depressive disorder, prior cosmetic surgery, and insight. Conclusions:The results of this largest study to date highlight that BDD is still underrecognized and undertreated even in a country with extensive mental health care and few financial barriers. We discuss modifiable factors and strategies to foster awareness of BDD in sufferers and professionals to improve treatment dissemination and to reduce treatment barriers.

The relationship between obsessive–compulsive spectrum disorders and DSM‐5 dysfunctional personality domains in a nonclinical sample of Italian women

“…1,5 Notably, participants with OCSDs are not likely to seek mental health treatment, despite the fact that effective treatment options exist. 6 Another change in DSM-5 is the inclusion of dimensional rating scales to aid in clinical evaluation and research. 1 These instruments are thought to represent a valuable supplement to traditional categorical diagnoses as they capture aspects of psychopathology that are not fully captured by the dichotomous nature of diagnostic categories, such as disorder severity, subclinical presentations, and change in severity over time.…”

Essstörungen bei Männern

“…Die Muskeldysmorphie tritt bei Männern mit einer Punktprävalenz von etwa 1,9 % etwas häufiger auf als etwa die Anorexia Nervosa bei Frauen [21]. Wie bei den Essstörungen tritt sie jedoch häufig komorbid mit anderen Störungen wie etwa mit einer unipolaren Depression auf.…”

Delusional Misidentification Syndromes: Psychopathology and Culture

“…Interestingly, the majority of subjects in this study were female and their appearance concerns included a wide range of areas in decreasing order of prevalence -skin, nose, hair, breasts, mouth, genitals, eyes, muscularity, hands, legs, ears, stomach, buttocks, and other facial features. The authors state that there are effective treatments for BDD and advocate for a stepped treatment model that first provides information about the condition and its prevention followed by online CBT, smartphone treatment apps, or specialized face-to-face treatments (Schulte et al, 2020).…”