Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Intervention for Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Intervention for Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Comparison of CBT - Mindfulness to CBT Alone

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 don't typically benefit from surgical treatments while cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) appears to provide symptom - reducing and distress - reducing benefits. Two different 8-week online CBT approaches to assisting 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.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Body Image Disturbance; Body Dysmorphic Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: CBT + Mindfulness

Detailed Description

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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Paul Ritvo, PhD; Phone Number: 4165808021; Email: pritvo@yorku.ca
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Camrie Kerry, BA; Email: Camrie@yorku.ca

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4E 3C1
      • Recruiting
      • York University
      • Contact: York University; Phone Number: 4165808021
      • Contact: Paul G Ritvo, PhD; Phone Number: Ritvo 4165808021; Email: pritvo@yorku.ca
      • Principal Investigator: Paul G Ritvo, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Camrie Kerry, BA

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 16 years to 28 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria: On the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire, responses indicating current BDD status; -

Exclusion Criteria: Individuals who are currently receiving weekly structured psychotherapy or who meet DSM-V criteria for severe alcohol/substance use disorder in the past 3 months or demonstrated clinically significant suicidal ideation defined as imminent intent, or attempted suicide in the past 6 months. Individuals of co-morbid diagnoses of borderline personality, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and/or obsessive compulsive disorder are excluded.

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Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Active comparator; Online cognitive behavioural therapy alone	Behavioral: CBT + Mindfulness; Eight weeks of online CBT intervention combined with mindfulness
Experimental: Experimental; Online cognitive behavioural therapy with the added components of mindfulness meditation	Behavioral: CBT + Mindfulness; Eight weeks of online CBT intervention combined with mindfulness

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Body Dysmorphic Disorder Symptom Scale	A 55-item scale which asks for presence/absence of symptoms and the degree of severity	Baseline, Post-Intervention at 8 weeks following Baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Patient Health Questionnaire - 9	A 9-item self report scale that asks for symptoms of depression and anxiety	Baseline, Post-Intervention at 8 weeks following Baseline

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
General Anxiety Disorder - 7	A 7-item self report scale that asks for symptoms of anxiety	Baseline, Post-Intervention at 8 weeks following Baseline
Brief Pain Inventory	A 11-item self report scale that asks for symptoms of pain experience	Baseline, Post-Intervention at 8 weeks following Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: York University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Kuck N, Cafitz L, Burkner PC, Hoppen L, Wilhelm S, Buhlmann U. Body dysmorphic disorder and self-esteem: a meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry. 2021 Jun 15;21(1):310. doi: 10.1186/s12888-021-03185-3.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2023
• Study Completion (Estimated): November 1, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 23, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 30, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): June 2, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 7, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 4, 2023
• Last Verified: July 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: internet-based intervention with health coaching
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Somatoform Disorders; Body Dysmorphic Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: DHRF - 02

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Publication of results

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No