Pharmacotherapy for body dysmorphic disorder: treatment received and illness severity.
BACKGROUND
Research on pharmacotherapy received by individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a relatively common and impairing disorder, is very limited.


METHODS
We examined past and current pharmacotherapy received by 151 individuals with BDD who were recruited from diverse sources.


RESULTS
72.9% of subjects had received psychotropic medication. The most common type ever received was an SRI (65.6%), followed by non-SRI antidepressants (41.1%) and benzodiazepines (27.2%). Subjects with greater lifetime impairment due to BDD were more likely to have received pharmacotherapy, and subjects with lifetime OCD or greater lifetime impairment due to BDD were more likely to have received an SRI specifically. Subjects revealed their BDD symptoms to only 41.0% of pharmacotherapists. Only 12.9% of SRI trials were considered optimal for BDD, and an additional 21.5% were considered minimally adequate. SRI trials that were considered optimal or at least minimally adequate for BDD were associated with greater improvement in BDD and less severe current BDD symptoms than non-optimal or inadequate SRI trials.


CONCLUSIONS
A high proportion of individuals with BDD receive pharmacotherapy, primarily SRIs, although most SRI trials appear inadequate for BDD. SRI treatment that was considered adequate was associated with greater improvement in BDD and less severe BDD symptoms.
Phillips
Katharine A
KA
Butler Hospital, Brown Medical School, Providence, RI 02906, USA. Katharine_Phillips@brown.edu
Pagano
Maria E
ME
Menard
William
W
D000328:Adult; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D003702:Delusions / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors