Intensive Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents With Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Abstract

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure and response prevention has documented efficacy in adults with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) but has yet to be systematically studied in youth. With this in mind, the authors report on the case of “Amanda,” a 16-year-old female with significantly impairing BDD symptoms. Following 17 sessions of intensive family-based CBT, Amanda exhibited marked improvement in her BDD symptoms as illustrated by a decrease in her score on the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Modification of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale from 27 at baseline to 10 at posttreatment. Therapeutic gains were maintained at a 3-month follow-up. This case study provides preliminary support for the use of intensive family-based CBT for adolescent BDD.