Body Image and its Relationship with Anxiety and Depression: A Rigorous Systematic Review of Current Evidence

Recent research has demonstrated significant associations between body image dissatisfaction and mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, across diverse populations.

This systematic review aims to synthesize existing evidence on the relationship between body image and these mental health outcomes, identify gaps in current research, and explore the mediators and moderators of this relationship.

Utilizing the PRISMA guidelines for rigorous and transparent reporting, this review synthesizes evidence from peer-reviewed studies published between January 2015 and December 2024. A Boolean search was performed on databases like Scopus, Medline, and PubMed. 12 studies were found eligible for review.

The literature reveals significant associations between body image dissatisfaction and increased levels of anxiety and depression. These relationships are evident across various life stages and cultural contexts, with pronounced impact during periods of significant physical changes such as puberty, pregnancy, and aging. This review also identifies a cyclical interplay between negative body perceptions and mental health disorders, exacerbated by societal pressures and idealized media portrayals. Key mediators like stress and coping strategies and moderators including gender, age, and cultural norms are explored to understand their roles in this complex relationship.

While body image dissatisfaction consistently correlates with poorer mental health, the dynamics of these associations vary, warranting the need for tailored interventions.

Body Image, anxiety, Depression, Depressive symptoms, body dissatisfaction.