Body dysmorphic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder: similarities, differences and the classification debate

Obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder have many similarities in clinical presentation. Obsessive-compulsive disorder has historically been considered an anxiety disorder, whereas body dysmorphic disorder has been grouped among the somatoform disorders. Researchers in these areas are currently debating whether the similarities warrant the inclusion of body dysmorphic disorder within a proposed category of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. This article describes the association between obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder as evidenced by the emerging literature, and presents theoretical and clinical implications of this association.