Reference for Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Professionals estimate that around 2.4% of adults in the United States suffer from body dysmorphic disorder, affecting an average of 2.5% of women and 2.2% of men. It affects an average of 1.7% to 2.9% of people in countries other than the United States. 

The Prevalence of Body Dysmorphic Disorder

The ages at which people are most likely to start developing body dysmorphic disorder are 12 and 13 years old. Around 60% of people who suffer from body dysmorphic disorder develop it by age 18, but some people might develop it in adulthood.

The Age at which People Most Develop Body Dysmorphic Disorder

* Family therapy.
* Prescription Medications. 
* Cognitive behavioral therapy. 


Possible Treatment for Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Muscle dysmorphia is a form of body dysmorphic disorder. It causes the individual to experience aversive emotions about their build and muscle appearance.

Muscle dysmorphia

These factors are suspected by experts to be reasons for the development of body dysmorphic disorder:

* Culture and media
* Genetics
* Being abused, neglected, or bullied as a child.
* Brain structure

Possible Causes for Body Dysmorphic Disorder

An individual spends over three hours each day focused on a small mole on their cheek, which others report they have never noticed. The individual is convinced the mole is a hideous flaw and that people are constantly staring at it. To cope, they engage in repetitive behaviors such as frequently checking their reflection, attempting to cover the mole with different types of concealer, and repeatedly asking friends if the mole looks bad. This preoccupation has caused them significant emotional distress and has led them to decline social invitations and call in sick to work. Based on this scenario, identify the most likely psychological condition and justify your diagnosis by connecting the individual's thoughts and behaviors to the key characteristics of that condition.

Analysis of Appearance Preoccupation

Body dysmorphic disorder is a condition where an individual becomes excessively preoccupied with one or more perceived flaws in their physical appearance. These perceived defects are typically nonexistent or unnoticeable to others, but they cause the person to experience significant anxiety about how they appear.

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•Concern with one's appearance

•Comparing Culture

•Worsen Body Image Dissatisfaction

•Social Networking Addiction

•Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

•Imagined Image Defects

Constant social media use can cause unrealistic body image ideals that can greatly impact one's mental well-being. 

Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders are characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors. Some examples of these disorders are: 
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Body Dysmorphic Disorder
- Hoarding Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders are a group of conditions listed in the DSM-5 that are characterized by overlapping features, specifically the presence of intrusive thoughts and/or repetitive behaviors. This diagnostic category encompasses several distinct but related conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, and hoarding disorder.

Laughter, M. R., Anderson, J. B., Maymone, M. B. C., & Kroumpouzos, G. (2023). Psychology of aesthetics: Beauty, social media, and body dysmorphic disorder. Clinics in dermatology, S0738-081X(23)00029-9. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2023.03.002


Psychology of aesthetics: Beauty, social media, and body dysmorphic disorder. 

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

In developed countries, 40% of 10-year-olds use Instagram and Snapchat, with that number doubling by the age of 14 years old. The study reported that the individuals' levels of self-esteem declined over time as their social media use increased and their self-awareness increased. By being introduced to social media at a very young age, adolescents become prone to using these forms of social media daily. By using the social websites more and more, users tend to feel worse about their outward appearance, and in turn, may post more to receive positive feedback. This creates a cycle of comparing one self to what they see on social media, and then trying to create images of their best self to receive positive feedback to increase their self-esteem. 

Social Networking Addiction

With the increase in photography and images of ourselves due to social media and today's technology, there are many photos of every person to which they can easily go back and look at on their telephones. Interestingly, there is something known as the "selfie paradox", which has led to plastic surgeons noting several of their patients seeking cosmetic procedures to "fix" features on their face to better their selfies. However, cameras and selfies have been known to distort, but the people seeking cosmetic procedures begin to see these distorted images on their face, even when they are not looking at the distorted photographs.

Imagined Image Defects

Studies have shown that social media has negatively affected how people view their outward appearance. However, most studies cater towards female adolescents so the decline in outer appearance has mostly been seen in females. Research has shown that the COVID pandemic has increased our online usage, with an estimated 94% of teens in developed countries being on some sort of social media, whether that is Instagram, Snapchat, or others like Facebook or Tiktok. With this increasing numbers, it seems that adolescents use social media as a “core means of self-presentation”. However, since social media is a glorified photo “dump” (meaning most images posted are the highlights of the photos), it creates a “gap” between how one’s perceived and ideal self, leading to concerns with their image, especially in adolescent girls.  

Concern with One's Appearance

Anxiety and depressive feelings can arise when social media is used as a form of comparison. These negative feelings can last for years, as using social media in this way during adolescents can impact the development of appearance self-esteem, as adolescents are going through a key phase of creating and forming their identity. This makes them more vulnerable to what they are exposed to online, as well as this comparing culture being instilled into their behavior longitudinally. This can make adolescents experience a range of mental health issues from anxiety to depression as comparing culture is heightened and social media use is largely increased.

Comparing Culture

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Studies have shown that adolescents often compare themselves to others via social media platforms, causing these users to report worsened body image dissatisfaction. Additionally, posts typically only represent the "highlight reel" of users lives, meaning they post the photos that they look the best in or showcase highlights of what is going on in their life. However, to users engaging in this content, they see these "ideal" posts as being someone's norm. This makes them feel that their realistic selves fall short of what their ideal self may be, leading to them feeling worse about their body as well as their daily life. Users compare their looks to what they wish to look like given these unrealistic beauty standards from social media, which leads users to report their worsened body image dissatisfaction (most often seen in adolescent girls).

Worsened Body Image Dissatisfaction

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by intrusive thoughts that trigger repetitive and self-reinforcing behaviors. The obsessive component of this disorder can act as both an antecedent and a consequence, as the compulsive behavior is performed to quell the obsession, but ends up making the obsession even stronger. 

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) 

Hoarding disorder is characterized by a persistent difficulty in discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value. This behavior frequently results in the accumulation of items that clutter and congest the individual's living area.

Hoarding Disorder

The DSM-5-TR separates Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders into the following specific disorders:
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Body Dysmorphic Disorder
- Hoarding Disorder
- Trichotillomania (Hair-Pulling Disorder)
- Excoriation (Skin-Picking) Disorder
- Substance / Medication-Induced Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorder Due to Another Medical Condition
- Other Specified Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorder


[DSM-5-TR] List of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

Specific areas of the brain are associated with obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. The orbitofrontal cortex is linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the anterior cingulate cortex is associated with hoarding disorder, and the prefrontal cortex is connected to body dysmorphic disorder.

Brain Regions Implicated in Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

A clinical psychologist is evaluating three different clients. Client A is unable to discard any possessions, leading to a dangerously cluttered home. Client B spends several hours each day examining and trying to hide a small scar on their arm that others do not notice. Client C feels an overwhelming need to tap every doorway they pass through exactly three times. According to the diagnostic framework used by mental health professionals, what is the primary characteristic that groups these distinct conditions into the same diagnostic category?

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