Diagnosis and treatment of body dysmorphic disorder in adolescents

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is an underrecognized and underdiagnosed problem that is relatively common among adolescents. Although the onset of the disorder occurs in adolescence, BDD research in child and adolescent psychiatry is relatively limited. Body dysmorphic disorder has a high rate of co-morbidity with depression and suicide, which indicates important implications for prompt diagnosis and treatment in adolescents with BDD. Effective treatment options include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and pharmacotherapy with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs). This paper provides a brief overview of BDD in adolescents, presents and evaluates the most recent literature on approaches to diagnosis and treatment, and highlights some of the characteristics that distinguish BDD from other disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, social phobia, depression, and eating disorders.