title: Dysmorphic concern is related to delusional proneness and negative affect in a community sample.
abstract: Body image concerns are common in the general population and in some mental illnesses reach pathological levels. We investigated whether dysmorphic concern with appearance (a preoccupation with minor or imagined defects in appearance) is explained by psychotic processes in a community sample. In a cross-sectional design, two hundred and twenty six participants completed an online survey battery including: The Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire; the Peters Delusional inventory; the Aberrant Salience Inventory; and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale. Participants were native English speakers residing in Australia. Dysmorphic concern was positively correlated with delusional proneness, aberrant salience and negative emotion. Regression established that negative emotion and delusional proneness predicted dysmorphic concern, whereas, aberrant salience did not. Although delusional proneness was related to body dysmorphia, there was no evidence that it was related to aberrant salience. Understanding the contribution of other psychosis processes, and other health related variables to the severity of dysmorphic concern will be a focus of future research.
authors.affiliation: Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre (BPsyC), Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: ckeating@swin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keating
authors.affiliation: Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre (BPsyC), Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia; Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc), Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: neilthomas@swin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre (BPsyC), Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: 6504264@student.swin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jessie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: David.CASTLE@svhm.org.au.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Castle
authors.affiliation: Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre (BPsyC), Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia; Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc), Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: Srossell@srossell.com.
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Rossell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001315:Australia; D057215:Body Dysmorphic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003702:Delusions / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires