Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for perfectionism: Targeting dysmorphic concern

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychopathology

Background:

• Perfectionism is a transdiagnostic risk factor for various psychopathologies.
• Dysmorphic concern is linked to perfectionism, yet treatments targeting perfectionism for this concern remain under-researched.
• Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for perfectionism (ICBT-P) is gaining attention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of ICBT-P in reducing dysmorphic concern.
• To examine the impact of ICBT-P on perfectionism, body image disturbance, negative affect, and selective attention.
• To assess treatment outcomes in individuals with high dysmorphic concern.

Main Methods:

• A case series design was employed with 31 participants (28 women) exhibiting high dysmorphic concern.
• Data were collected at baseline, after a 4-week pre-treatment phase, after an 8-week ICBT-P intervention, and at 1-month follow-up.
• Intent-to-treat analyses were used to assess changes in key variables.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed from baseline to end-of-treatment and follow-up across most measured variables.
• A large effect size decrease in dysmorphic concern was noted.
• Selective attention towards appearance-based stimuli (BDD-body, BDD-positive, and BDD-negative words) significantly decreased.

Conclusions:

• ICBT-P demonstrates efficacy in reducing dysmorphic concern and related symptoms.
• The findings support ICBT-P as a potentially valuable treatment for individuals with high dysmorphic concern.
• Further research is warranted to confirm these results in larger, controlled studies.