Psychiatric Disorders in Dermatiological Diseases

April 7, 2026 updated by: Aya Abdelhaseeb Abdellatif, Sohag University

Evaluation of Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Children With Dermatological Diseases

The aim of this study:

  1. Evaluate the presence of body dysmorphic disorder in children with dermatological diseases compared to healthy controls.
  2. Assess the effect of these skin diseases on the quality of life in those children.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Skin diseases are the fourth leading cause of non-fatal disease in humans. Worldwide, between 30% and 70% of individuals are affected. Most dermatological conditions have an impact on patients' social, physical, and emotional well-being, as well as their friends, partners, and families.

The psychological impact of skin diseases is an issue of increasing concern worldwide but little research or exploration in this area has been undertaken.Pediatric psychodermatology is an emerging field that is uniquely tailored to the developmental, emotional, and psychosocial needs of children with psychocutaneous conditions.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric condition defined as a preoccupation with a perceived defect or flaw in one's physical appearance when, in fact, they appear normal. BDD falls under the spectrum of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders.

Often under recognized, BDD is a prevalent disorder characterized by an all-consuming focus on perceived physical imperfections, leading to distressing repetitive actions and, at times, suicidal behavior and ideation. Individuals with BDD often seek unnecessary surgical interventions.

The affected patients visit dermatology and plastic surgery clinics to repair their perceived defects. Understanding BDD's features and diagnostic criteria across all healthcare specialties helps increase awareness and recognition of the condition.

Body dysmorphic disorder is commonly first encountered by nonpsychiatric physicians. It is estimated to range from 0.7% to 2.4% in general clinics met diagnostic criteria for BDD, increasing to 9% to 12% in general dermatology clinics, 8% to 37% in cosmetic dermatology clinics, 2.9% to 53.6% in cosmetic surgery clinics and 14.1% among patients with chronic skin disease. These findings highlight the strong link between skin disorders and BDD, supporting the importance of studying this link specially in children and adolescents.

Most research on BDD focuses on adolescents and adults, however childhood- BDD remain underestimated because appearance concerns may be misinterpreted as normal developmental features. Children with early symptoms may hide their worries or struggle to express them, contributing to diagnostic delay.

Chronic pediatric dermatological diseases including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, vitiligo, alopecia areata, and acne vulgaris are associated with a significant psychological burden. Commonly reported psychiatric manifestations include anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, social withdrawal, and impaired quality of life. More severe comorbidities such as ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, substance use, eating disorders, and suicidal ideation have also been described.

Screening for BDD by dermatologists is of paramount importance. Dermatologists should ask patients with minimal or non-existing defects about how much time each day they spend in thinking about their defects and how much such concerns cause distress or interfere with functioning. Patients who are concerned and preoccupied with perceived defects, spending at least one hour thinking about them and their concerns lead to functioning impairment or clinically significant distress should be considered for BDD diagnosis.

Given the emerging evidence linking skin diseases with body image disturbances in young populations , It is essential to investigate the prevalence, associated factors, and psychosocial impact of BDD among children with skin disorders. This supports the development of early screening programs and collaborative models between dermatology and child mental health services.Early recognition and intervention may significantly improve both psychological well-being and dermatological treatment outcomes in affected children.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

500

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study will include 250 patients with dermatological diseases and 250 age and sex matched healthy controls. From Dermatology outpatient clinics, Sohag University Hospitals, Faculty of Medicine Sohag University.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • The study will include 250 children of both sexes aged from six up to less than 18 years presenting with various chronic skin diseases, diagnosed clinically, by dermoscopy and by biopsy if needed, and age and sex matched healthy controls.
  • Ability of the child and caregiver to understand and respond to the questionnaires.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Children with diagnosed psychiatric disorders other than BDD (e.g., severe depression, autism spectrum disorder).
  • Children with chronic systemic illness affecting body image or any other debilitating acute , chronic illness or surgical problems e.g.: short stature, hypothyroidism, osteochondral defects and obesity.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Evaluation of Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Children with Dermatological Diseases
Time Frame: From Apri 2026 to April 2027

Evaluate the presence of body dysmorphic disorder in children with dermatological diseases compared to healthy controls.

The study will include 250 children of both sexes aged from six to less than 18 years presented with various chronic skin diseases, diagnosed clinically , by dermoscopy and by biopsy if needed, and 250 age and sex matched healthy controls .

Assessment of the severity of the dermatological diseases according to available valid severity scores will be done .

Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire Dermatology Version will be done to identify symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder with valid standardized arabic version .

The body dysmorphic disorder questionnaire is a brief, validated questionnaire used to identify patients having symptoms of BDD. It uses close-ended questions and identifies if participants' concerns regarding appearance are a source of preoccupation and identifies the grade of distress or interference with social and occupational functioning .
From Apri 2026 to April 2027
Assess the effect of skin diseases on the quality of life of children
Time Frame: From April 2026 to April 2027

Assess the effect of skin diseases on the quality of life in children by using Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index questionnaire (CDLQI) that used to evaluate the psychosocial impact of skin disease with valid standardized Arabic version .

The study will include 250 children of both sexes aged from six up to less than 18 years presenting with various chronic skin diseases, diagnosed clinically, by dermoscopy and by biopsy if needed, and 250 age and sex matched healthy controls then Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index questionnaire (CDLQI) will be assessed with a valid standardized Arabic version .

The Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) is a validated questionnaire to assess the impact of skin diseases on the quality of life of children. It evaluates the effect of dermatological conditions on physical symptoms, emotional well-being, daily activities, social interactions, school performance, and treatment.
From April 2026 to April 2027

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sohag University

Investigators

  • Study Director: Soha Hishmat Aboeldahab, Professor, Sohag University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

April 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

October 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

April 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 31, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 7, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

April 13, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 7, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • Soh-Med-26-3-14MS

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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