Treatment Barriers, Preferences And Histories Of Individuals With Symptoms Of Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Background: Individuals with mental health concerns face many barriers when accessing psychological treatment. Even when patients overcome these barriers, they often do not receive an evidence-based treatment. Although the current literature highlights these issues clearly across psychological disorders, the research is limited in relation to body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Aim: The aim of this study was to examine psychological treatment barriers, treatment delivery preferences and treatment histories of individuals with symptoms of BDD. Method: A total of 122 participants with clinically significant BDD symptoms (94% female; mean age = 34.19 years, SD = 10.86) completed the cross-sectional study. Results: The most frequently reported barriers to accessing psychological treatment for individuals with BDD symptoms were the cost of treatment (41%) and the belief that the symptoms did not warrant treatment (36%). Although 69% of treatment-seeking participants reported previously receiving cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for BDD, only 13% of participants appeared to receive best-practice CBT. The preferred modality of future psychological treatment delivery was face-to-face treatment with a therapist once a week (63%), rather than accelerated or remote treatment approaches. Conclusions: The study suggests that there are significant barriers to accessing CBT for BDD. Reducing these barriers, as well as increasing consumer mental health literacy, is required to improve treatment access and treatment outcomes for individuals with BDD.