Prevalence and characteristics of body dysmorphic disorder in Arab dermatology patients

To explore how prevalent body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is among Arab dermatology patients and what characteristics of  patients are associated with it.

A total of 497 patients from the dermatology outpatient clinic at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, participated in this cross-sectional study conducted between October and December 2018. We asked the patients about their demographic and clinical characteristics, and then asked them to complete a dermatology-based self-report BDD questionnaire. Following this, we appointed 2 independent researchers to evaluate the dermatological flaws highlighted in the patient questionnaires and rate them using a severity scale.

Body dysmorphic disorder was found in 14.1% of Arab dermatology patients. There were significant links between female with BDD (odds ration [OR]: 2.93;  95% CI 1.24, 6.9]), having 2 or more skin conditions with BDD (OR: 4.67; 95% CI 1.33, 16.49) and having a certain skin condition such as hyperpigmentation with BDD (OR: 5.86; 95% CI 1.46, 23.61). The biggest BDD concerns were hyperpigmentation, acne, and hair loss. Conclusion: Body dysmorphic disorder was common among Arab dermatology patients, especially among women and those who have hyperpigmentation or more than one skin condition.