Body dysmorphic disorder - A survey of fifty cases

TY - JOUR

T1 - Body dysmorphic disorder - A survey of fifty cases

AU - Veale, D

AU - Boocock, A

AU - Gournay, K

AU - Dryden, W

AU - Shah, F

AU - Wilson, R

AU - Walburn, J

PY - 1996/8

Y1 - 1996/8

N2 - Background. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) consists of a preoccupation with an 'imagined' defect in appearance which causes significant distress or impairment in functioning. There has been little previous research into BDD. This study replicates a survey from the USA in a UK population and evaluates specific measures of BDD.Method. Cross-sectional interview survey of 50 patients who satisfied DSM-IV criteria for BDD as their primary disorder.Results. The average age at onset was late adolescence and a large proportion of patients were either single or divorced. Three-quarters of the sample were female. There was a high degree of comorbidity with the most common additional Axis I diagnosis being either a mood disorder (26%), social phobia (16%) or obsessive-compulsive disorder (6%). Twenty-four per cent had made a suicide attempt in the past. Personality disorders were present in 72% of patients, the most common being paranoid, avoidant and obsessive-compulsive.Conclusions. BDD patients had a high associated comorbidity and previous suicide attempts. BDD is a chronic handicapping disorder and patients are not being adequately identified or treated by health professionals.

AB - Background. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) consists of a preoccupation with an 'imagined' defect in appearance which causes significant distress or impairment in functioning. There has been little previous research into BDD. This study replicates a survey from the USA in a UK population and evaluates specific measures of BDD.Method. Cross-sectional interview survey of 50 patients who satisfied DSM-IV criteria for BDD as their primary disorder.Results. The average age at onset was late adolescence and a large proportion of patients were either single or divorced. Three-quarters of the sample were female. There was a high degree of comorbidity with the most common additional Axis I diagnosis being either a mood disorder (26%), social phobia (16%) or obsessive-compulsive disorder (6%). Twenty-four per cent had made a suicide attempt in the past. Personality disorders were present in 72% of patients, the most common being paranoid, avoidant and obsessive-compulsive.Conclusions. BDD patients had a high associated comorbidity and previous suicide attempts. BDD is a chronic handicapping disorder and patients are not being adequately identified or treated by health professionals.

U2 - 10.1192/bjp.169.2.196

DO - 10.1192/bjp.169.2.196

M3 - Article

SN - 0007-1250

VL - 169

SP - 196

EP - 201

JO - British Journal of Psychiatry

JF - British Journal of Psychiatry

IS - 2

ER -