Self-Stigma of Seeking Psychological Help and Mental Health Treatment Utilization Among Boys and Men With Possible Muscle Dysmorphia

Muscle dysmorphia is a mental health condition that often requires psychotherapy to improve prognosis. To date, a dearth of literature has examined whether people with muscle dysmorphia utilize mental health treatment and how self-stigma around seeking psychological help impacts treatment utilization. Using data from an international sample of boys and men (N = 1,553), this study aimed to determine the association between possible muscle dysmorphia, self-stigma of seeking psychological help, and current mental health treatment. Analyses were also conducted to determine whether self-stigma of seeking psychological help attenuated the association between possible muscle dysmorphia and currently being in mental health treatment. Results from regression analyses revealed that those with possible muscle dysmorphia endorsed significantly higher self-stigma of seeking psychological help and significantly lower odds of being currently in mental health treatment. Self-stigma of seeking psychological help attenuated the association between those with possible muscle dysmorphia and currently being in mental health treatment. These findings provide preliminary evidence that self-stigma of seeking psychological help may attenuate mental health treatment utilization among boys and men with possible muscle dysmorphia. Greater health care and public health efforts are needed to increase awareness of muscle dysmorphia and muscularity-related concerns and behaviors to reduce stigma.