Am I Experiencing Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)?
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a condition characterized by preoccupation with perceived flaws or faults in physical appearance that are not noticeable or appear insignificant to others. Am I Experiencing Body Dysmorphic Disorder? is an indicative screening tool, designed to help clients self-assess whether their experiences might warrant further investigation. It is not intended to give a formal diagnosis or provide a measure of severity.
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Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
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Includes client-friendly guidance. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
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Introduction & Theoretical Background
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a condition characterized by preoccupation with perceived flaws or faults in physical appearance that are not noticeable or appear insignificant to others.
People with BDD might attempt to camouflage or change their perceived flaws, avoid situations that increase their distress, or perform repetitive behaviors, (e.g., mirror checking or reassurance seeking) and mental acts (e.g., comparing their appearance with that of others) in response to their self-consciousness.
Research suggests that BDD is experienced by between 1 and 3 people out of every 100 (Hartmann et al., 2017).
The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for BDD (APA, 2013) include:
- A preoccupation with one or more perceived defects or flaws in physical appearance that are not observable or appear slight to others.
- The performance of repetitive behaviors (e.g., mirror checking, excessive grooming, skin picking, reassurance seeking) or mental acts (e.g., comparing his or her appearance with that of others)
Therapist Guidance
"Some people who report similar experiences to yours have a condition called body dysmorphic disorder. Would you like to try a short quiz that could give us an idea of whether this problem troubles you?"
References And Further Reading
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
- Stansfeld, S., Clark, C., Bebbington, P., King, M., Jenkins, R., & Hinchliffe, S. (2016). Chapter 2: Common mental disorders. In S. McManus, P. Bebbington, R. Jenkins, & T. Brugha (Eds.), Mental health and wellbeing in England: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014. Leeds: NHS Digital.
- van Eeden, A. E., van Hoeken, D., & Hoek, H. W. (2021). Incidence, prevalence and mortality of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 34, 515-524.
- World Health Organization. (2019). ICD-11: International classification of diseases (11th revision). Retrieved from https://icd.who.int/