Functional impairment in body dysmorphic disorder: a prospective, follow-up study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Cross-sectional studies suggest impaired psychosocial functioning in individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).
• Prospective studies examining the course of psychosocial functioning in BDD are lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively assess psychosocial functioning in individuals with BDD over a 1-3 year follow-up period.
• To identify predictors of functional outcomes in BDD.

Main Methods:

• This prospective study followed individuals with BDD for 1-3 years.
• Psychosocial functioning was measured using the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale, Social and Occupational Functioning Scale (SOFAS), and LIFE-RIFT.
• BDD severity and other clinical variables were assessed at baseline.

Main Results:

• Psychosocial functioning remained poor and stable over the follow-up period on SOFAS and LIFE-RIFT, with a slight improvement trend on GAF.
• Functional remission rates were low: 5.7% on GAF and 10.6% on SOFAS.
• Higher BDD severity significantly predicted poorer functioning across all measures.

Conclusions:

• Psychosocial functioning in BDD is chronically impaired, with limited prospects for remission.
• BDD severity is a key determinant of functional impairment.
• Further research is needed to develop interventions that improve long-term functioning in BDD.