A Screening Questionnaire for Body Dysmorphic Disorder in a Cosmetic Dermatologic Surgery Practice

Background. Dermatologic surgeons frequently see patients with body dysmorphic disorder, a distressing or impairing preoccupation with a nonexistent or slight defect in appearance. Recognition of this disorder is essential to avoid unnecessary and generally unsatisfying surgical outcomes, but no screening tools are available for use in a dermatology setting. Objective. To develop and validate a brief self‐report questionnaire to screen for body dysmorphic disorder in dermatology settings. Methods. A questionnaire was developed and its sensitivity and specificity determined in 46 subjects, using a reliable clinician‐administered diagnostic interview for body dysmorphic disorder. The interrater reliability of a defect severity scale was also determined (n = 50). Results. The self‐report questionnaire had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 93%. The interrater reliability (ICC) of the defect rating scale was .88. Conclusions. This brief questionnaire was a highly effective screening tool for body dysmorphic disorder in a cosmetic dermatology setting. Use of this questionnaire may help identify patients with this syndrome.