Advances in the Treatment of Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Body Dysmorphic Disorder is underdiagnosed and a largely misunderstood disorder, despite more than 20 years of research, and the facts that it is associated with a high rate of suicidality, hospitalization, and poor quality of life. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), as well as certain pharmacological agents, have been found to be effective as treatments. This article reviews a CBT model for the acquisition and maintenance of the disorder proposed by Neziroglu, and its associated treatment protocol. Based on this model, new directions to understand BDD and its treatment are emerging. These directions include attentional training/task concentration and the role of somatosensory and perceptual processes.