The frequency of body dysmorphic disorder in dermatology and cosmetic dermatology clinics: a study from Turkey

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a distressing and impairing preoccupation with a slight or imagined defect in appearance. There are few reports on the prevalence of BDD in the Turkish population.

To investigate the frequency of BDD in dermatology settings, and to compare the results from cosmetic dermatology with those from general dermatology settings.

This cross-sectional study recruited 400 patients from cosmetic dermatology (CD) (n = 200) and general dermatology (GD) clinics (n = 200). A mini-survey was used to collect demographic and clinical characteristics, and the dermatology version of a brief self-report BDD screening questionnaire was administered. A five-point Likert scale was used for objective scoring of the stated concern, which was performed by dermatologists, and patients who scored ≥ 3 were excluded from the study.

In total, 318 patients (151 in the CD group and 167 in the GD group) completed the study, and of these, 20 were diagnosed with BDD. The CD group had a higher rate of BDD (8.6%) than the GD group (4.2%) but this was not significant (P = 0.082). The major concern focused on body and weight (40.0%), followed by acne (25.0%).

The number of cosmetic procedures in dermatology practices is increasing Therefore, it is becoming more important to recognize patients with BDD. Although the rates of BDD found in the present study are in agreement with the literature data, population-based differences still exist between this study and previous studies.