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["How Beautiful Must I be?"- Physical Attractiveness and Mental Health in Adolescents]
Derya Meretuk, Julia Plück1, Franz Petermann2
1Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie des Kindes- und Jugendalters der Universität zu Köln Robert-Koch-Straße 10 50931 Köln Deutschland Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie - Uniklinik Köln.
Abstract:
"How Beautiful Must I be?"- Physical Attractiveness and Mental Health in Adolescents Physical attractiveness is a high priority for young people. The beauty ideals and presentations spread in the media often reinforce self-doubt and self-insecurity. In 730 adolescents (age 13 to 20 years) it was measured, how they experience appearance-related social pressure (FASD), the extent to which physical deficits are perceived (BDDQ), and how these features are related to mental symptoms (SDQ). The results demonstrate that young people are very concerned about their appearance (30.7 %) and are overly concerned with perceived physical defects (29.5 %). In addition, there is a strong appearance-related social pressure through peers and parents. The young people particularly affected in these areas report more emotional and behavioral problems. The results suggest that attention should be given to physical self-assessment as an important factor in diagnosis and therapy.