PREVALENCE OF BODY DYSMORPHIC DISORDER AMONG FEMALE PATIENTS SEEKING COSMETIC PROCEDURES

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric illness in which individuals with minimal or non-existent defects related to appearance worry immensely about their looks:which results in displaying significant distress and impairment in behavior and psychosocial functioning. Patients with BDD seeking cosmetic surgery are usually unsatisfied with the outcomes of the surgery. Therefore, it is important to study this phenomenon and increase awareness among physicians about the importance of assessing their patients before starting any cosmetic treatment. To assess the presence of BDD in patients undergoing cosmetic procedures, and to improve the awareness about BDD among providers of cosmetic treatment. This is a cross-sectional study that uses the adult version of the BDD modification of the Y-BOCS (BDD-YBOCS) scale. This scale consists of 12 items related to preoccupied thoughts that participants have about their appearance, and the effects that these thoughts have on their lives. In this study, participants were instructedto answer questions on a 5-point Likert-type scale. Questionnaires were distributed on different online platforms, among females living in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Out of these, responses were received from 220participants. Out of the 220 women who participated in this cross-sectional study, 45 of them had BDD (prevalence rate of 20.5%), which is a significant percentage. The results of the study indicate that BDD is more prevalent among participants in the age group of 20–35 years. The study also revealed that a positive correlation exists between BDD and females seeking cosmetic procedures. we found thatOne-fifth of the participants were diagnosed to be suffering from BDD. Higher rates of BDD were observed among women who underwent cosmetic procedures. Therefore, we recommend physicians to conduct a BDD screening for patients seeking cosmetic procedures before treatment.