Randomised controlled trials of psychological & pharmacological treatments for body dysmorphic disorder: A systematic review

Treatment for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) often involves a combination of psychological and pharmacological interventions. However, only a small number of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have been undertaken examining the efficacy of different therapeutic interventions. The aim of this study was to systematically review the RCTs involving psychological and pharmacological interventions for the treatment of BDD. The literature was searched to June 2015, and studies were included if they were written in English, empirical research papers published in peer-review journals, specifically assessed BDD patients, and involved a RCT assessing BDD symptoms pre- and post-intervention. Nine studies were identified: six involving psychological and three involving pharmacological interventions. Cognitive behaviour therapy, metacognitive therapy and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were identified as treatments with potential benefit. The small number of RCTs and the heterogeneity of findings emphasises the need for more high quality RCTs assessing both psychological and pharmacological interventions for BDD.