Imagined ugliness: a symptom which can become a disorder
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 13, 2026

Validation of a Psychosocial Intervention on Body Image in Older People: An Experimental Design
Published on: May 31, 2021
1University of Western Australia. David.Castle@health.wa.gov.au
Abstract:
Concern regarding physical appearance is normal, but can sometimes reach an intensity which renders it a "disorder" (body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD). The rate of BDD in the general population is not clear, but sufferers are over-represented in psychiatric populations and in those seeking cosmetic surgery. BDD shows extensive psychiatric comorbidity, including depression, social phobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. BDD is treatable, with serotonergic antidepressants (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and cognitive-behavioural treatments being the most effective.
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