A multi-method analysis of distress tolerance in body dysmorphic disorder

- The relationship between DT and BDD symptoms was examined via three studies.
- Lower DT predicted greater BDD symptoms in community and student samples.
- Lower tolerance of sadness and anger mood inductions predicted higher BDD symptoms.
- Tolerance of a fear mood induction was not associated with BDD symptoms.
- A clinical BDD group reported lower DT than healthy controls.

Distress tolerance (DT) is a transdiagnostic construct linked to multiple psychiatric disorders. We conducted three studies using different methods to investigate the relationship between DT and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Study 1 found a significant relationship between low DT and more severe BDD symptoms in an adult community sample (N = 81). In Study 2, we found a similar relationship between lower DT and greater BDD symptoms in a student sample (N = 192). Furthermore, we found a unique relationship between greater BDD symptoms and lower self-reported tolerance of anger and sadness mood induction tasks. Greater BDD symptoms were not significantly associated with lower self-reported tolerance of a fear mood induction task. In Study 3, a clinical sample of individuals with BDD (N = 40) reported lower DT than a sample of healthy controls (N = 36). Findings suggest that low DT is a broad vulnerability factor related to BDD.