title: Body dysmorphic disorder.
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.
authors.affiliation: Rhode Island Hospital and Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, USA. Andri_Bjornsson@brown.edu
authors.forename: Andri S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Bjornsson
authors.forename: Elizabeth R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Didie
authors.forename: Katharine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D057215:Body Dysmorphic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011584:Psychology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors