The Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire: A screening measure for body dysmorphic disorder

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of the Dysmorphic Concerns Questionnaire (DCQ) as a screening measure for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and to derive DCQ cutoff scores to facilitate the screening procedure. The DCQ was completed by 244 undergraduates (mean = 20.80, SD = 3.10 years) and 57 BDD outpatients (mean = 29.60, SD = 9.44 years) in Melbourne, Australia. The undergraduate sample was screened for eating disorders using the Eating Attitudes Test-26, and for BDD using the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire. The BDD outpatients obtained significantly higher scores on the DCQ than the undergraduates. This difference remained statistically significant after controlling for the severity of depression and social anxiety symptoms. A DCQ cutoff score of 9 resulted in the correct classification of 96.4% of BDD patients and 90.6% of undergraduates. The results supported the use of the DCQ as a brief, sensitive, and specific screening instrument for BDD.