Personality traits as vulnerability factors in body dysmorphic disorder

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Cognitive behavioural models suggest personality traits are risk factors for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).
• Research specifically examining personality traits in BDD is limited.
• Existing models often focus on perfectionism and aesthetic sensitivity as vulnerability factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate perfectionism, aesthetic sensitivity, and behavioural inhibition system (BIS) reactivity in individuals with BDD.
• To explore the association between these personality traits and the extent of dysmorphic concerns.
• To evaluate the relevance of BIS-reactivity as a potential factor in BDD.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving individuals diagnosed with BDD (n=58) and a large population-based control sample (n=2071) from Germany.
• Utilized self-report questionnaires to assess DSM-5 criteria for BDD, dysmorphic concerns, perfectionism, aesthetic sensitivity, and BIS-reactivity.
• Statistical analyses were performed to compare groups and examine dimensional associations.

Main Results:

• Individuals with BDD showed significantly higher levels of perfectionism and BIS-reactivity compared to controls.
• No significant difference in aesthetic sensitivity was observed between the BDD group and the control group.
• Across the total sample, perfectionism, aesthetic sensitivity, and BIS-reactivity were all dimensionally associated with dysmorphic concerns.

Conclusions:

• Perfectionism and BIS-reactivity are significantly elevated in individuals with BDD.
• While not uniquely pronounced in BDD, aesthetic sensitivity, alongside perfectionism and BIS-reactivity, correlates with dysmorphic concerns.
• The findings support the inclusion of BIS-reactivity as a relevant factor in cognitive behavioural models of BDD, in addition to perfectionism and aesthetic sensitivity.