Prevalence of Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Private Aesthetic Clinical Settings in Four Latin American Countries: A Cross-Sectional Study.

backgroundBody dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric condition characterized by persistent concern with non-existent or minor defects in one's physical appearance. BDD can be difficult to identify as patients often have limited insight into the condition.

objectiveWe aimed to determine the prevalence of BDD in patients presenting to private aesthetic clinical settings in four Latin American countries.

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study From August to October 2022 to evaluate the prevalence of BDD among 360 patients seeking nonsurgical cosmetic procedures in Chile, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia using the Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire (DCQ). We reported prevalence estimates for the lowest and highest previously proposed DCQ cutoff points.

resultsThe DCQ total scores in the study population ranged from 0 to 21, with a mean total score of 5.1 ± 3.4. The prevalence of positive screening results for BDD (total DCQ score ≥ 9) was 15.8%. The prevalence of a likely diagnosis of BDD (total DCQ score of ¥ 17) was 0.83%. LIMITATIONS: The convenience sample limited the generalizability of the findings to Latin America.

conclusionWe encourage colleagues to be more mindful of this diagnosis and to facilitate earlier psychological evaluation in patients who are positive for BDD. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .