Prevalence and post-pandemic consequences of body dysmorphic disorder: a systematic review with meta-analysis

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) has had a growing impact in Western cultures, manifesting itself in social pressures to achieve physical standards, affecting both men and women. Media influences have magnified these ideals, promoting a standardized body appearance, which has generated an increase in appearance-related disorders. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated body concerns. Therefore, we aimed to determine the post-pandemic prevalence and its consequences. For these purposes, a systematic review was carried out based on the PRISMA strategy to identify relevant studies between 2019 and 2023 in databases such as Web of Science and Scopus. Selection criteria were applied, including cross-sectional or longitudinal studies that focused on populations without a previous diagnosis of BDD and used clinical instruments. Of the 52 articles identified, 10 met the inclusion criteria and were selected. Four were used for the systematic review and 6 to carry out the meta-analysis. The prevalence of BDD was high, at 20.8% (6 studies, logOR = 0.208 [95% CI: 0.121-0.294], Z = 4.69, p < .001, I ² = 98.51%). In conclusion, the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic such as remaining in isolation, the closure of beauty services, and the increase in the use of social networks and video calls increased anxiety and stress levels in patients diagnosed with BDD and also in people with symptoms related to BDD.