A review of cognitive and behavioral treatment for body dysmorphic disorder

Until recently, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) had been vastly ignored in the scientific literature. Despite a recent surge in interest, treatment studies are still surprisingly neglected. Reports from the 1970s-1990s discuss few case descriptions and suggest anecdotal treatment strategies. Since the 1990s, information about the treatment of BDD has increased slightly. The intent of this paper is to review the current state of knowledge regarding cognitive and behavior therapy, which so far has been found to be effective. The current literature suggests that there is no difference between the efficacy of one treatment strategy over another nor the combination of cognitive and behavior therapy over behavior therapy. However, more research is needed in this area before definitive conclusions can be made.