Body dysmorphic disorder and psychotherapeutic interventions: a systematic literature review.

Abstract

Introduction: Body dysmorphism disorder (BDD) is a disabling mental disorder characterized by an anxious preoccupation with a perceived defect in physical appearance.

Objective: This systematic review arose with the main objective of identifying the most effective psychotherapeutic intervention in the treatment of BDD.

Methods: From February to October 2022, we conducted a systematic review aimed at identifying the psychotherapeutic intervention for BDD, the search for these concepts was on PubMed. There were no language limitations, only time limitations, we delved into studies published in the databases between 2015 and 2022.

Results: We identified a total of 393 unique records. Of these, 43 full-text articles were evaluated for eligibility, and seven of these met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final systematic review.

Conclusions: Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been shown to be effective compared with other therapies, especially when combined with drug therapy. The results confirm that BDD-NET (INTERNET-based CBT) led to significant improvement of symptoms in patients with body dysmorphism. In conclusion, we can say that cognitive-behavioral therapy, whether in direct or online form, appears to be the most effective treatment for this disorder.