title: Correlates of quality of life and functional disability in individuals with body dysmorphic disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a chronic mental illness characterized by low quality of life and functional disability across multiple domains. Despite the clinical importance of understanding impairment in BDD, there has been little research examining the factors that contribute to these constructs. The present study was designed to examine sociodemographic and clinical correlates of quality of life and disability (work, social, and family) in a sample of individuals with moderately severe BDD symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed an internet survey with questions about demographics, BDD phenomenology, treatment, and impairment. Only participants who completed all study measures and received a score≥16 on the 10-item Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Modified for BDD (BDD-YBOCS), indicating the presence of clinical BDD symptoms, were included in the analysis (n=256). Multivariate regression with backwards variable selection was used to identify significant predictors of quality of life and functional disability, assessed with the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Scale-Short Form (QLESQ-SF) and the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS), respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BDD symptom severity was inversely associated with quality of life and directly associated with disability in all domains. After controlling statistically for BDD symptom severity, sociodemographic and clinical factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, insurance, body parts of concern, depression symptoms, and anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with impairment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest a multidimensional nature of quality of life and functional disability and underscore the importance of developing holistic treatment strategies to address impairment in BDD.
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA. lmarques@partners.org
authors.forename: Luana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: LeBlanc
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Robinaugh
authors.forename: Hilary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Weingarden
authors.forename: Aparna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keshaviah
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D057215:Body Dysmorphic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors