Insight in body dysmorphic disorder with and without comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to compare the level of insight in patients with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) with and without comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and to measure its possible relationships with clinical features.


METHODS
Thirty outpatients affected by BDD, according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fourth Edition criteria, of whom 18 were also suffering from OCD, were included in the study. Clinical assessment was carried out by means of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale modified for BDD and a specially designed OCD Questionnaire. The level of insight was measured by means of the score at item 11 of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale modified for BDD.


RESULTS
The insight resulted to be excellent in four cases, good in four, fair in five, poor in 15 and absent in two. Significant and positive correlations were observed between the level of insight and the following items: resistance to thoughts and to activities as well as to time spent on activities and control on activities related to the defect. The insight was significantly lower in patients affected by both BDD and OCD.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings indicate that the majority of BDD patients in this study, and especially those with comorbid OCD, have a low degree of insight that is significantly correlated to symptoms specific of the disorder.
Marazziti
Donatella
D
Department of Psychiatry, Neurobiology, Pharmacology and Biotechnology, University of Pisa, Italy. dmarazzi@psico.med.unipi.it
Giannotti
Daniele
D
Catena
Mario Catena
MC
Carlini
Marina
M
Dell'Osso
Bernardo
B
Presta
Silvio
S
Pfanner
Chiara
C
Mungai
Francesco
F
Dell'Osso
Liliana
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires