Understanding Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Its Importance in Cosmetic Surgery Screening

The Role Your Weight Plays When Considering Cosmetic Surgery

All clinic’s Australia wide, have a legal requirement to screen people seeking cosmetic surgery for Body Dysmorphic Disorder, before they can proceed to discuss possible surgical options with a specialist plastic and reconstructive surgeon.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder, or “BDD”, is a mental condition, where people perceive themselves as being physically flawed.

They often feel shame or disgust regarding their body or appearance and tend to obsess over trying to rectify what they find unacceptable or are unhappy with. This preoccupation and its associated distress can significantly impact social, professional and/or intimate relationships. Surgery will never alleviate or resolve this condition or alter how affected individuals see themselves. As such, we have a duty of care to identify if an individual may have BDD, by screening them, and prevent affected individuals from undergoing unwarranted surgery.

The screening process is completed over the phone with one of our registered nurses, who goes through some pre-scripted questions to identify signs of BDD. While it may seem intimidating to divulge personal information with a stranger, please be reassured that our nurses are professional, warm and not here to judge you at all. The phone chat typically takes about 10-20minutes to complete and you are welcome to ask any questions you may have along the way. It is important to note, that our phone consultation is a screening tool only, and is not diagnostic.

If an individual screens negative/not likely to have BDD, we may progress them through to see one of our doctors for a consultation, to discuss their surgical enquiry.  If someone screens positive for signs of Body Dysmorphic Disorder, we are ethically and legally obligated to refer that individual back to their referring Gp, who can assist in recommending appropriate services, to help that individual “live with” and manage the ailment.

BDD is a real condition and is pertinent in our society. Reports from epidemiology studies in the US have found that 0.7% – 2.4% of people have BBD. These numbers correlate with a local study conducted on over 300 university students in Australia, where it was found that 2.3% of participants appeared to meet the criteria for BDD. Multiple studies confirm that these numbers tend to be higher in various health care settings, particularly within Australian cosmetic and dermatological settings, seeing closer to 20% prevalence. While severity varies from person to person, these statistics indicate that BDD is more widespread than other commonly known disorders, such as Schizophrenia or Anorexia.

Please feel welcome to visit the following links for further information on Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144523000906

https://bdd.iocdf.org/professionals/prevalence/

https://aps.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/13284200601178532

Please know that these services are available, if you are concerned that you may be living with Body Dysmorphic Disorder and would like to be proactive about your mental health. It’s never shameful to reach out!

https://www.readymind.com.au/body-dysmorphic-disorder-and-cosmetic-procedure-screening/

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/about/contact-us

https://www.qld.gov.au/health/mental-health-and-wellbeing/how-to-get-help/1300-mh-call

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