Prevalence and clinical characteristics of body dysmorphic disorder in adolescent inpatient psychiatric patients-a pilot study

Prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder, its clinical characteristics and psychiatric comorbidities in patients admitted to a plastic surgery outpatient clinic

PURPOSE

The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), its clinical features, and comorbidities in patients applying for plastic and reconstructive surgery.

METHOD

Five-hundred and seventy nine participants who applied to the plastic and reconstructive surgery outpatient clinic completed a sociodemographic data form, and were subjected to the Body Perception Scale (seventy-nineBPS), Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS), TEMPS-A Temperament Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Participants who scored 135 or more on the BPS were included in a psychiatric interview. Next, the participants diagnosed with BDD were compared with participants with a high BPS scores but without a BDD diagnosis, along with a control group.

RESULTS

The prevalence of BDD among all patients attending the plastic surgery outpatient clinic was found to be 4.7%, whereas the prevalence was 8.6% among those specifically seeking cosmetic procedures. The mean SAAS, BDI, TEMPS-A depressive, and anxious scores were higher in the BDD group compared to the controls (p < 0.001). The difference in the mean SAAS, BDI, TEMPS-A depressive, and anxious scores of the patients with a high BPS scores and the control group was comparable to the difference observed between the BDD and control groups. A regression analysis revealed that the SAAS and depressive temperament scores have an effect on the BPS score.

CONCLUSION

The significantly high comorbidity of BDD in patients seeking plastic and reconstructive surgery underscores the importance of identifying these patients to prevent unnecessary surgical procedures.

Suicidality in patients with obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRDs): A meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Previous meta-analyses showed that OCD is associated with a substantial risk of suicidal behaviours. Conclusive rates of suicidal ideation (current and lifetime) and suicide attempts based on pooled prevalence rates have not so far been calculated using meta-analysis for the other DSM-5 Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders (OCRDs).

OBJECTIVES

This meta-analysis aims to separately calculate the pooled prevalence rates of lifetime suicide attempts and current or lifetime suicidal ideation in BDD, Hoarding Disorder (HD), Skin Picking Disorder (SPD) and Trichotillomania (TTM) and to identify factors associated with increased suicide rates.

METHODS

Our protocol was pre-registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020164395). A systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA reporting guidelines was performed by searching in PubMed/Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science and CINAHL databases from the date of the first available article to April 20th, 2020. Stata version 15 was used for the statistical analysis. Given the small number of studies in TTM and SPD, the two grooming disorders were grouped together. Meta-analyses of proportions based on random effects (Der-Simonian and Laird method) were used to derive the pooled estimates.

RESULTS

Thirty-eigth studies (N = 4559 participants) were included: 23 for BDD, 8 for HD, 7 for Grooming Disorders. For BDD, the pooled prevalence of lifetime suicide attempts, current and lifetime suicidal ideation was, respectively 35.2% (CI:23.4-47.8), 37.2% (CI:23.8-51.6) and 66.1% (CI:53.5-77.7). For HD, the pooled prevalence of lifetime suicide attempts, current and lifetime suicidal ideation was 24.1% (CI:12.8-37.6), 18.4% (CI:10.2-28.3) and 38.3% (CI:35.0-41.6), respectively. For Grooming Disorders, the pooled prevalence of lifetime suicide attempts and current suicidal ideation were 13.3% (CI:5.9-22.8) and 40.4% (CI:35.7-45.3), respectively (no data available for lifetime suicidal ideation).

CONCLUSIONS

The OCRDs as a group are associated with relatively high rates of suicidal behaviour. Through indirect comparisons, we infer that BDD has the greatest risk. Comorbid substance abuse, possibly reflecting poor underlying impulse control, is associated with higher rates of suicidal behaviour in BDD. Our data emphasize the need for clinicians to consider the risk of suicidal behaviour in the management of patients presenting with all forms of OCRDs.

Etiological factors and treatment challenges in an adolescent male with body dysmorphic disorder: A case report

There are very few existing reports in adolescents about the clinical presentation and treatment challenges associated with body dysmorphic disorder coexisting with suicidal behaviour. This case report describes a 13-year old male with body dysmorphic disorder, who was completely convinced that his belief related to the disorder is true (delusional belief) and therefore had no insight into his condition. His preoccupation with the shape of his nose progressed significantly over a 2-year period to the extent that he wore a surgical mask on a daily basis to camouflage the perceived defect. The distress due to the persistent preoccupation and intrusive thinking became so severe that he started to experience suicidal ideation and attempted suicide twice with no harm sustained. This case report focuses on three treatment challenges faced by the treating team: the need of continued treatment with pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy following a cosmetic procedure, the impact of the mother’s preoccupation with her physical appearance on the recovery of the young person, and the management of suicidality. We have also highlighted the probable causative factors of the development of the illness in this patient which are consistent with the established aetiology of body dysmorphic disorder.