Body dysmorphic disorder (dysmorphophobia / dysmorphomania): literature review

Abstract

A literature review regarding body dysmorphic disorder. Analysis of Russian and foreign bibliographic sources. Dysmorphophobia (body dysmorphic disorder, dysmorphomania) is a psychopathological disorder with ideas of imaginary or exaggerated personal physical inferiority. In the general population it occurs in more than 2 %. Criteria for dysmorphophobia diagnosis are the following: excessive preoccupation with any imaginary or insignificant defect in appearance; preoccupation with a clinically significant disorder or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning; the clinical picture is not explained by another mental disorder. A unique approach to the diagnosis of dysmorphophobia has not been developed yet; clinical, pathopsychological and anamnestic methods are used as well as special questionnaires. Treatment includes drug and psychotherapeutic approaches. The disease is usually chronic, only 9 % of patients manage to achieve stable remission and only 21 % partial. Narrow specialists are not always acquainted with dysmorphophobia; it leads to an incorrect diagnosis and treatment. It is necessary to improve methods for the timely detection and correction of this form of mental pathology in order to prevent severe personal and social consequences of the disease.