The Prevalence of Body Dysmorphic Disorder in the United States Adult Population

In clinical samples, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is associated with substantial suffering and reduced quality of life. Limited surveys report widely varying prevalence estimates. To better establish the prevalence of BDD, we conducted a United States nationwide prevalence survey. We conducted a r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	CNS spectrums Vol. 13; no. 4; pp. 316 - 322
Main Authors:	Koran, Lorrin M., Abujaoude, Elias, Large, Michael D., Serpe, Richard T.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01-04-2008
Subjects:	Adult Age Factors Aged Aged, 80 and over Body Image Cross-Sectional Studies Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders - diagnosis Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders - epidemiology Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders - psychology Female Health Surveys Humans Male Middle Aged Original Research Sex Factors Somatoform Disorders - diagnosis Somatoform Disorders - epidemiology Somatoform Disorders - psychology United States United States
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Summary:	In clinical samples, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is associated with substantial suffering and reduced quality of life. Limited surveys report widely varying prevalence estimates. To better establish the prevalence of BDD, we conducted a United States nationwide prevalence survey. We conducted a random sample national household telephone survey in the spring and summer of 2004 and interviewed 2,513 adults, of whom 2,048 qualified for the BDD-module administration. The computer-assisted, structured interviews, conducted by trained lay interviewers, addressed Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria for BDD, along with information regarding several impulse-control disorders and the respondents' financial and demographic data. The rate of response was 56.3%, which compared favorably with rates in federal national health surveys. The cooperation rate was 97.6%. Respondents included a higher percentage of women and people >55 years of age than in the US adult population, and a lower percentage of Hispanics. The estimated point prevalence of DSM-IV BDD among respondents was 2.4% (49/2,048) (by gender: 2.5% for women, 2.2% for men), exceeding the prevalence of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder type I and about that of generalized anxiety disorder. BDD prevalence decreased after 44 years of age, and a larger proportion of BDD respondents were never married. Of those meeting DSM-IV criteria for BDD, 90% (45/49) met the DSM-IV distress criterion, and 51% (25/49) met the interference-with-functioning criterion. A study using clinically valid interviews is needed to evaluate these results. Such studies could inform treatment by documenting rates of seeking treatment from various sources, suicide attempt rates, and the prevalence of comorbid conditions.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	1092-8529 2165-6509
DOI:	10.1017/S1092852900016436