Citation

Bjornsson AS, Didie ER, Phillips KA. Dialogues Clin. Neurosci. 2010; 12(2): 221-232.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Les Laboratoires Servier)

DOI

10.31887/DCNS.2010.12.2/abjornsson

PMID

20623926

PMCID

PMC3181960

Abstract

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a relatively common disorder that consists of a distressing or impairing preoccupation with imagined or slight defects in appearance. BDD is commonly considered to be an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder, based on similarities it has with obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is important to recognize and appropriately treat BDD, as this disorder is associated with marked impairment in psychosocial functioning, notably poor quality of life, and high suicidality rates. In this review, we provide an overview of research findings on BDD, including its epidemiology, clinical features, course of illness, comorbidity, psychosocial functioning, and suicidality. We also briefly review recent research on neural substrates and cognitive processing. Finally, we discuss treatment approaches that appear efficacious for BDD, with a focus on serotonin-reuptake inhibitors and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Risk Factors; Female; Male; Psychology; Suicide; Comorbidity; Quality of Life; Body Dysmorphic Disorders; Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy