Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Intervention for Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) affects 2.3% of the population and is characterized by excessive concerns with imagined or minor defects in physical appearance. Retrospective outcome studies suggest patients affected by BDD typically do not benefit from surgical treatments while cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) appears to provide symptom - reducing and distress - reducing benefits. In this study two different 8-week online CBT approaches to assist individuals with this disorder are compared: one approach will integrate mindfulness meditation methods (in combination with CBT) and one approach will employ CBT methods without reference to mindfulness meditation. The purpose of this comparison is to ascertain whether the inclusions of the two additional intervention modalities, demonstrated effective in other studies, adds to positive outcome effects in this disorder. A primary hypothesis is that the 8 week post-intervention outcomes associated with the CBT-mindfulness approach will show significantly more benefit than the comparison group.