Therapist guided internet based cognitive behavioural therapy for body dysmorphic disorder: single blind randomised...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Mental Health
• Digital Therapeutics
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Background:

• Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a debilitating mental health condition.
• Access to evidence-based treatments for BDD can be limited.
• Internet-based interventions offer a potential solution to increase treatment accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of therapist-guided internet-based CBT (BDD-NET) against online supportive therapy for BDD.
• To evaluate treatment outcomes including symptom severity, depression, and global functioning.

Main Methods:

• A 12-week, single-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled trial.
• 94 adult outpatients with BDD (modified Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale [BDD-YBOCS] score ≥ 20) participated.
• Participants received either BDD-NET (n=47) or supportive therapy (n=47) delivered online.

Main Results:

• BDD-NET demonstrated superior efficacy over supportive therapy, significantly reducing BDD-YBOCS scores (group difference -7.1 points).
• Significant improvements were also observed in depression (MADRS-S group difference -4.5 points) and other secondary outcomes.
• At follow-up, 56% of BDD-NET participants were responders versus 13% in the supportive therapy group, with a number needed to treat of 2.34.

Conclusions:

• Therapist-guided internet-based CBT (BDD-NET) is a safe and effective treatment for body dysmorphic disorder.
• BDD-NET can significantly increase access to evidence-based psychiatric care for BDD.
• This intervention is suitable for a stepped care approach, particularly for mild to moderate cases.