Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire: Arabic Adaptation and Validation in Dermatology Population

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric condition characterized by excessive preoccupation with perceived flaws in physical appearance, often encountered in dermatologic settings.

This study aims to validate the Arabic Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire (BDDQ), used in the dermatologic setting.

Using previous versions of BDDQ, we developed a scale that considers the dermatologic setting and conditions and translated it into Arabic. The new tool was assessed for its construct, structural, and criterion validity and reliability.

The newly developed tool had an appropriate construct validity; it was unidimensional (57% variance explanation), with excellent internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.889). The structural (significant inter-item and item-scale Spearman correlation coefficients) and criterion validity measures (AUC = 0.869) were also appropriate. Compared to a physician diagnosis of BDD, two cut-off values were defined for the scale: 11.5 for screening purposes (Se = 100%; Sp = 31%), and 18.5 for diagnostic purposes (Se = 83% and Sp = 83.5%).

This study developed and validated a quantitative scale in a dermatology setting, the Arabic BDDQ scale. Further studies are recommended to confirm the scale's efficiency for screening and diagnostic purposes.