Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 63 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

M.A. (Psychology) / Body dysmorphic disorder is a somatoform disorder characterised by a preoccupation with an imagined defect in appearance, causing clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning. An electronic search of articles and dissertations yielded no results on the prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder in South Africa. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder among 395 undergraduate students at an inner-city university. Proportionate stratified random cluster sampling was used to select the sample. The students completed a demographics survey and the Body Image Disturbance Questionnaire. Results indicated an overall prevalence of 5.1%, which is similar to prevalence rates reported in existing literature among student populations. No clinically significant differences were found on the ,demographic variables of gender, race or sexual orientation. However, students differed significantly in their experience of the severity of the disorder in terms of age, such that students over the age of 21 reported higher severity levels than did students under the age of 21.

Thesis (M.A.)--Western Kentucky University, 2010. / Tables. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 32-39).

Although a prevalence estimate of body dysmorphic disorder has been conducted with a college population, no research concerning the scope or dimensionality of the disorder had been conducted with an ethnically diverse sample of high school students. Consequently, the goals of this study were.to: (a) create a diagnostic questionnaire for body dysmorphic disorder that is both reliable and valid, and (b) utilize the questionnaire to assess the prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder and body image dissatisfaction in groups of Caucasian, African American, Asian, and Hispanic high school students. Differences in scores between ethnic groups indicated that African Americans hold an overall body image that is more positive that any other ethnic group. In addition, females demonstrated significantly higher scores than males on the Body Image Rating Scale (females were less satisfied with their physical appearance) .

Bakgrund  Body dysmorphic disorder [BDD] är en psykiatrisk sjukdom med en prevalens på omkring två procent. Personer med BDD har en negativ kroppsuppfattning och är överdrivet upptagna av något i sitt utseende som upplevs som deformerat eller fult. Diagnos BDD ställs utifrån diagnosmanualen DSM-V och enligt kriterierna skall den negativa kroppsuppfattningen framkalla kliniskt signifikant lidande eller funktionsnedsättning i det dagliga livet. Studier visar att kunskaperna om sjukdomen är bristfälliga och att personer med BDD ofta inte vet vart de ska vända sig för att få hjälp. Syfte Att beskriva upplevelser av lidande hos personer som lever med body dysmorphic disorder. Metod För att besvara studiens syfte tillämpades en allmän litteraturöversikt. 15 vetenskapliga artiklar med relevans för valt ämne selekterades ut efter systematisk sökning, granskning och analysering av artiklar i databaserna CINAHL, PsycINFO och PubMed. Resultat Resultatet presenteras under rubrikerna Självbilden, skammen & copingstrategier, upplevelser av fångenskap och kampen för att få hjälp Slutsats Personer med BDD upplevde ett känslomässigt sjukdomslidande kopplat till negativ kroppsuppfattning, skam och avsky för det egna utseendet. Tvångsmässiga och utseende-relaterade beteenden kunde skapa ytterligare lidande då de tog upp stora delar av vardagen och orsakade hinder till ett fungerande liv. Till följd av detta hade personerna ofta depressiva symtom och upplevde ett livslidande över sin situation. Livet beskrevs som en konstant kamp med suicidtankar och känslor av hopplöshet. Då personerna kände att de inte blev tagna på allvar och inte fick anpassad vård uppstod även ett vårdlidande.

Compulsive repetitive behaviors and mental acts due to concerns about your appearance, are symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Previous research suggests that the compulsive behaviors found in people with BDD occur in online and offline settings (e.g., extensive editing of selfies intended for publication online and excessive mirror gazing offline). Also, previous research shows that BDD and social media use vary with age. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine age as a moderator in the relationship between compulsive behaviors online and the risk behaviors of BDD offline, through a cross-sectional design. The inclusion criteria for the study were being a minimum of 16 years old, a Swedish citizen and a user of social media. The data were collected through a survey, consisting of questions intended to screen for compulsive behaviors online in relation to appearance concerns, risk behaviors of BDD offline and the prevalence of BDD. The results showed that younger participants engaged in more compulsive behaviors online and risk behaviors of BDD. The group in high risk of BDD also engaged more in both behaviors, than participants in low risk of BDD. In addition, the results showed that age did act as a moderator in the relationship between compulsive behaviors online and risk behaviors of BDD. Age showed to especially affect the relationship between the number of compulsive behaviors online and risk behaviors of BDD in older participants. / Tvångsmässiga repetitiva beteenden och mentala handlingar som beror på oro kring sitt utseende, är symptom av dysmorfobi (BDD). Tidigare forskning visar att tvångsmässiga beteenden sker både online och offline (tex., överdriven redigering av selfies i syfte att publicera dem online och att spegla sig överdrivet mycket offline). Tidigare forskning visar även att BDD och sociala medier-användning varierar med ålder. Genom en tvärsnittsdesign ämnade därför denna studie att undersöka om ålder modererar relationen mellan tvångsmässigt beteende online och riskbeteende för BDD. Datainsamlingen bestod av ett frågeformulär med frågor kring tvångsmässigt beteende online i relation till oro kring utseendet, riskbeteende för BDD samt prevalensen av BDD. Inklusionskriterierna för att delta i studien var att vara minst 16 år gammal, svensk medborgare samt användare av sociala medier. Resultaten visade att de yngre deltagarna i studien utför både fler tvångsmässiga beteenden online samt fler riskbeteenden offline än de äldre deltagarna. Den grupp som ansågs ha hög risk för BDD utförde även båda beteendena mer än de deltagarna med låg risk för BDD. Resultaten visade vidare att ålder var en moderator i relationen mellan tvångsmässiga beteenden online och riskbeteenden för BDD. Mer specifikt hade en äldre ålder störst effekt på relationen mellan beteendena online och offline.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder, BDD, is a psychiatric diagnosis that is characterized by self- perceived ugliness. The knowledge about BDD is low and people experience that they have the diagnosis, but haven’t been diagnosed with BDD due to the lack of knowledge among professionals. Previous research has mostly consisted of quantitative studies regarding the prevalence of BDD. The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze how people, who feel that they have BDD, describe living with it in their everyday life. The study is based on four narrative interviews, and the analysis of the results is based on a narrative approach. The results show that many areas in life are negatively affected by BDD, such as, school or work, relationship with others and quality of life. There is also a lack of knowledge regarding BDD among professionals which affects the treatment of people with BDD. In conclusion, BDD is a complex diagnosis to live with and many aspects in life are limited because of the diagnosis. Therefor the knowledge of BDD must increase in order for people to be able to get the right treatment.

Previous research has indicated an increasing trend toward elective cosmetic surgery to achieve a perceived ideal body image and meet psychological and social needs. However, there remains a gap in the literature regarding the number of procedures performed on a single patient, and the potential that patients may suffer from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the number of cosmetic surgeries undergone, level of body dissatisfaction, level of dysmorphic concern, and preoccupation with appearance. Participants included 75 females and 55 males, ranging in age from 18 to 64 years. The majority of participants identified as Caucasian and resided in the United States. Most participants reported having two or three cosmetic surgeries. A multiple regression analysis was run to predict whether dysmorphic concern, body image concern, and/or BDD symptomology predict the number of cosmetic procedures undergone. The first significant finding was that body dissatisfaction, level of dysmorphic concern, and likelihood of BDD predict the number of cosmetic surgeries an individual chooses to undergo. The second significant finding was that the level of body image satisfaction-dissatisfaction as measured by the Body Image Ideal Questionnaire does predict the number of cosmetic procedures undergone. The results from this study provide support for the prerequisite of a psychological screening for cosmetic surgery and thus may contribute to positive social change for the cosmetic surgery community and its patients. Successful implementation of such a screening tool would contribute to social change, particularly for those candidates with diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health concerns.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a debilitating condition affecting more than two percent of the general population. Typical age of onset is between 12 to 13 years of age with two thirds of individuals with BDD experiencing symptom onset before age 18, when children and adolescents typically still live in the familial home. Despite the highly debilitating nature of the disorder, the alarming rates of suicide and suicidal ideation among individuals diagnosed with BDD, and the relational problems that exist for people with BDD, there is virtually no research evaluating how relationships and attachment plays a role in the development, maintenance, or remission of this disorder. This study fills a gap in the literature regarding the lived relationship experiences of individuals diagnosed with BDD. Eight participants who struggle with BDD were interviewed. A phenomenological approach was used to capture the experiences of participants. As a result, six essential themes and 17 thematic elements emerged from the data: (1) Abject Nature of BDD, (2) BDD’s Negative Impact on Relationships, (3) Childhood Maltreatment and BDD, (4) Systemic Nature of BDD, (5) Relationships as Motivation for Working Toward Recovery, and (6) Strengths and Weaknesses in Mental Health Services for BDD. The construction of three relational cycles emerged as well from the data: Fear of Infidelity/Abandonment Cycle, Shame, Guilt and Isolation Cycle, and Impact of Positive Partnerships on BDD Cycle. One theoretical model was developed: BDD as a Distraction from Relational Pain Model. Suggestions for clinical implications of these Cycles and Model, and future research implications are also provided.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Purdue University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 15-18). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.