Body Dysmorphic Disorder - Diagnoses

Diagnoses

According to the DSM IV to be diagnosed with BDD a person must fulfill the following criteria:

• "Preoccupation with an imagined or slight defect in appearance. If a slight physical anomaly is present, the person's concern is markedly excessive."
• "The preoccupation causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning."
• "The preoccupation is not better accounted for by another mental disorder (e.g., dissatisfaction with body shape and size in Anorexia Nervosa)."

In most cases, BDD is under-diagnosed. In a study of 17 patients with BDD, BDD was noted in only five patient charts, and none of the patients received an official diagnosis of BDD. This under-diagnosis is due to the disorder only recently being included in DSM IV; therefore, clinician knowledge of the disorder, particularly among general practitioners, is not widespread.

Also, BDD is often associated with shame and secrecy; therefore, patients often fail to reveal their appearance concerns for fear of appearing vain or superficial.

BDD is also often misdiagnosed because its symptoms can mimic that of major depressive disorder or social phobia. and so the cause of the individual's problems remain unresolved.

Many individuals with BDD also do not possess knowledge or insight into the disorder and so regard their problem as one of a physical rather than psychological nature; therefore, individuals suffering from BDD may seek cosmetic treatment rather than mental health treatment.