Body dysmorphic disorder: Delusions of physical appearance

BackgroundDysmorphic concern refers to an excessive preoccupation with a perceived or slight defect in physical appearance. It lies on a continuum of severity from no or minimal concerns to severe concerns over one's appearance. The present study examined the heritability of dysmorphic concerns in a large sample of twins.MethodTwins from the St Thomas UK twin registry completed a valid and reliable self-report measure of dysmorphic concerns, which also includes questions about perceived body odour and malfunction. Twin modelling methods (female twins only, n=3544) were employed to decompose the variance in the liability to dysmorphic concerns into additive genetic, shared and non-shared environmental factors.ResultsModel-fitting analyses showed that genetic factors accounted for approximately 44% [95% confidence intervals (CI) 36–50%] of the variance in dysmorphic concerns, with non-shared environmental factors and measurement error accounting for the remaining variance (56%; 95% CI 50–63%). Shared environmental factors were negligible. The results remained unchanged when excluding individuals reporting an objective medical condition/injury accounting for their concern in physical appearance.ConclusionsOver-concern with a perceived or slight defect in physical appearance is a heritable trait, with non-shared environmental factors also playing an important role in its causation. The results are relevant for various psychiatric disorders characterized by excessive concerns in body appearance, odour or function, including but not limited to body dysmorphic disorder.

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Body dysmorphic disorder

New Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry ◽

10.1093/med/9780199696758.003.0134 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 1043-1049

Author(s):

Katharine A. Phillips

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Body Dysmorphic Disorder ◽

Physical Appearance ◽

Clinical Settings ◽

Risk Behaviours ◽

Problematic Substance Use ◽

Icd 10 ◽

Problematic Substance ◽

Dsm Iv

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), also known as dysmorphophobia, is a relatively common, severe, and sometimes difficult-to-treat condition that has been described for more than a century. BDD consists of a distressing or impairing preoccupation with an imagined or slight defect in one's physical appearance. BDD is classified as a separate disorder in DSM-IV and a type of hypochondriasis in ICD-10. This disorder can cause severe distress and notably impaired functioning. In addition, risk behaviours—suicidality, violence, problematic substance use, and compulsive tanning—appear common in BDD. Despite its severity, BDD is underrecognized in clinical settings.

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Introduction

10.1093/med/9780190254131.003.0001 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Katharine A. Phillips

Keyword(s):

Psychosocial Functioning ◽

Body Dysmorphic Disorder ◽

Physical Appearance ◽

Common Disorder ◽

Compulsive Behaviors ◽

Clinically Significant

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a severe and common disorder that consists of distressing or impairing preoccupation with nonexistent or slight flaws in one’s physical appearance. Individuals with BDD perform repetitive, compulsive behaviors to try to cope with the distress that their appearance concerns cause. In addition, the appearance concerns cause clinically significant distress or impairment in psychosocial functioning. This chapter introduces the reader to BDD and provides a roadmap for the book.

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Transtorno dismórfico corporal - a importância do diagnóstico prévio à consulta inicial em procedimentos estéticos

Simmetria Orofacial Harmonization in Science ◽

10.24077/2021;26-5866 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (6) ◽

pp. 58-66

Author(s):

João Heli de Campos

Keyword(s):

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Body Dysmorphic Disorder ◽

Physical Appearance ◽

Third Parties ◽

The Body ◽

Absolute Contraindication ◽

Facial Changes ◽

The Aesthetic ◽

Aesthetic Procedures

Aesthetic procedures do not have an absolute contraindication in patients with psychiatric disorders, however, anamnesis must take into account the body dysmorphic disorder that is the most common among individuals who seek body and facial changes through aesthetic procedures. Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder are distressed by perceived flaws in their physical appearance, commonly in their face. Although these “defects” are generally not noticeable to others, individuals with BDD misinterpret a certain part of their body as unattractive and repulsive. They spend several hours a day worrying about appearance, engaging in repetitive, time-consuming behaviors, like comparing, checking the mirror. They camouflage with the hair, handkerchiefs or the clothes the part and the body that the disturbed person sees with a problem. They tidy up their appearance excessively and seek guarantees from third parties that the problem exists. The purpose of this article is to alert the aesthetic professional about the obstacles that they may face when they are careless about the body dysmorphic disorder.

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